Breaking of Souls
by Batman's Bombshell
Summary: How far would you go to save the person you love? Babe Love Story, Dark, but with an HEA. Read Disclaimer. Adult readers only. COMPLETE!
1. In The Shadows

_**Disclaimer: Janet Evanovich owns the rights to the following characters. This story is only intended as artistic exercise. I am in no way profiting financially from it. **_

_**Warning: This story is intended for adult readers only; contains graphic violent content, mature themes and adult language.**_

_**This is a Babe story, and will have and eventual Babe HEA.**_

_**Breaking of Souls**_

_**Chapter 1: In the Shadows**_

* * *

Stephanie woke suddenly, goose bumps erupting over her body. Something wasn't right… she could feel it; the evil surrounding her was almost tangible, crawling along her skin and seeping into her pores. She was paralyzed with fear, body rigid, her heart pounding wildly in her chest. She tried to fight through the shock of her unknown terror, but was frozen into place. She gripped the sheets around her, sinking lower into the mattress; willing herself to be invisible to prying eyes.

She frantically scanned the dark room around her, the piercing sound of silence ringing in her ears; searching, listening, for any sign of danger lurking in the shadows. She willed her body to respond, every cell screaming in terror to run; but the only movement from her body was the trembling of adrenaline coursing through her system.

She gasped aloud, the hair rising on the back of her neck at the feel of warm breath caressing her cheek; the smell of oil and tobacco assaulting her senses. Eyes frozen wide, she turned her head slowly to the side, shrieking when a man's face came into view mere inches from her own; the whites of his eyes glowing through the holes of his black ski mask. His eyes, flat and soulless, crinkling at the look of terror on her face; baring his teeth in a sadistic smile.

He raised a single finger to his lips, _"Shhhhhh."_

Stephanie's scream caught in her throat, strangled by her own fear. Her body recoiled away from him, scrambling frantically across her bed, her legs ensnaring in the sheets around her. A _"whoosh"_ of air was forced from her lungs as the weight of his body slammed into her, pinning her to the bed. She fought wildly against him, his strength thwarting her efforts. She screamed as she felt the sharp prick of a needle imbedding into the flesh of her bicep, struggling violently to free her arm from his grasp.

The room around her began to spin, shapes and colors mixing into an unidentifiable mass. She sagged limply into the bed, numbness spreading throughout her body. Her tongue felt thick and lethargic in her mouth, a slurred plea for help escaping her lips, _"Ranger."_

She succumbed to the darkness; her body free falling into an abyss of black; the sound of quiet laughter echoing softly in the distance.

* * *

Arms crossed behind his head, Ranger laid in bed starring at the ceiling above him. He couldn't shake the feeling of dread that was gnawing at his subconscious mind.

Throwing his legs over the side of his bed, he stalked into his closet, yanked on his cargo pants and pulled his t-shirt over his head. He plunged his feet into his combat boots, not even sparing a moment to tie the laces, he shoved his Glock into the waistband of his pants and rushed from the apartment.

He took the stairs two at a time to the garage, adrenaline humming through his body as he jumped into the Turbo. He couldn't explain the overwhelming panic that had settled in his chest. He sped through the streets, running every red light, barely slowing around the corners. It felt like an eternity before he finally reached her apartment complex. He wrenched the door open before his car had even come to a complete stop; and then he was running, his heart pounding furiously in his chest. He ran up the stairs to her apartment, bursting out of the stairwell. He surveyed the hallway; her door was intact with no sign of forced entry. He turned the handle, his body tensing when the unlocked knob turned in his hand.

He entered her apartment, his senses acutely aware of his surroundings; sweeping the vicinity with his gun held out in front of him, his posture set in a defensive stance. He walked silently through her bedroom door, stopping at the sight before him. The sheets of her bed were pulled off of one side, exposing thick black stains smeared across the bare mattress below. The lamp from her nightstand lay shattered on the floor. Movement in his peripheral vision caused him to spin around rapidly, his finger tensing on the trigger of his gun, the drapes from her window billowing softly in the breeze. Ranger stood crippled with emotion; anger, fear, regret, boiling over inside of him; the tendons in his hands straining against the blanched skin of his clenched fists.

He could almost feel the demons unleashing inside of him.

"_Excuse me, dear… I saw the lights come on and I wanted to see how Stephanie was feeling."_ Ranger whipped around at the sound of a woman's voice. Stephanie's neighbor, Mrs. Walker stood in the apartment entryway. Her hair in curlers, the blue night dress she wore buttoned up to her neck; her feet covered in soft velvet slippers.

Ranger's brow furrowed in confusion. He had seen Stephanie several times today and she didn't mention not feeling well. _"When was the last time you saw Stephanie?"_ he questioned the elderly woman, his sharp eyes analyzing her face.

Mrs. Walker cocked her head to the side in thought, the milky film of cataracts coating her eyes. _"Oh… well, let's see here… about an hour ago I guess. I had no idea she was so ill," _she sighed, shaking her head sadly. _"Thank God her brother stopped by to check on her; he had to carry the poor girl out of here. Said, he was going to take her to the hospital to have her checked out...."_

Rage washed over Ranger's body in waves. Whoever had taken his Babe had brazenly carried her out of her own front door.

"_Mrs. Walker… Stephanie doesn't have a brother."_

TBC…

*Thoughts?

*The first chapters of this story will be DARK, but there will be an eventual Babe HEA.


	2. A Gilded Butterfly

_**Disclaimer: Janet Evanovich owns the rights to the following characters. This story is only intended as artistic exercise. I am in no way profiting financially from it. **_

_**Warning: This story is intended for adult readers only; contains graphic violent content, mature themes and adult language.**_

_**Cupcake Warning. This is a Babe story, and will have and eventual Babe HEA.**_

_**Breaking of Souls**_

_**Chapter 2: A Gilded Butterfly**_

* * *

Stephanie drifted towards a white light of sight and sound; awareness dawning on her foggy mind. Disoriented and confused, she fought against her heavily lidded eyes; the steady pulse of her heartbeat throbbing painfully against her temples. She squirmed uncomfortably, her arms resting unnaturally on either side of her head; pins and needles rippling down from her fingertips to the base of her shoulders. She tried to lower them to her sides, but her movements were met with resistance from her restrained wrists; the tug of her body ceasing at the squeaking sound of decaying metal springs. Her eyes opened slowly, blinking rapidly as they adjusted to the light.

She lay prostrate on a small corner daybed, flecks of white paint flaking from its rusting iron frame. Her hands were cuffed to the headboard above her, their numbness giving her the sensation of phantom limbs. The sheets around her were damp and soiled with her own sweat; her wild curls sticking to the moist skin of her face and neck. Her eyes circled the room, slowly taking stock of her surroundings; her breath hitching into fast, trembling pants.

The room appeared to be part of an unfinished basement or shed; the earthy smell of sawdust permeating the air. The unpainted walls surrounding her were made of crude plywood; pipes and electrical wires left exposed between the skeletal framing of the ceiling. A single window was heavily boarded with two by fours, effectively blocking any daylight or chance of escape; a small LED lantern was set upon the cement floor, illuminating the room with a soft golden glow. She looked at the aged wooden door, its structure seemingly unfamiliar somehow; with a pang of fear she realized that the lock was reversed, the dead bolt engaging from the outside.

She lifted her head from the mattress, her mind trying to make sense of the strange design patterning the walls. She swallowed the bile in her throat as she stared at her own image; thousands of times over; pictures taken unbeknownst to herself, at the bonds office, at Pino's, wrapped in Ranger's arms… asleep in her bed; the time frame of the pictures spanning for months. She turned her head to the wall beside her, focusing in on the words haphazardly scrawled between the photos, _"A gilded butterfly flaps her wings, cloaked in the sins of mankind; I must peel the flesh from her mortal bones to resurrect the angel within."_

An Icy terror spread through her veins, her body thrashing wildly against her confines; the skin of her wrists grating against the metal cuffs. Her breathing sped to a frantic pace, her body drowning in an excess of oxygen; darkness blanketed her vision as she spun dizzily into unconsciousness.

* * *

Stephanie's apartment was a whirlwind of chaos; Rangeman and Trenton P.D. officers swarming the small area; frantically collecting evidence and taking witness statements. Hector and Lester moved about the bedroom performing a crime lab kit as Bobby stood in the entryway gathering information from the tenants of neighboring apartments. Joe Morelli stood with a group of plain clothes cops, speaking in hushed whispers, pausing occasionally to throw an accusing glare in Ranger's direction.

Ranger stood with his arms folded across his chest, his back leaning against the wall; the murderous look in his eyes causing the men around him to give him a wide berth; silent rage emanating from every pore.

Tank stood a few feet away from Ranger, eyeing his boss warily. He knew that if Ranger snapped it would take either a bullet or an act of God to stop him. He had seen Ranger angry before, but never anywhere near this degree. He could tell by the look on his face that Ranger had lost all rational thought; his mind and body functioning solely on primal instincts. Tank's body tensed, preparing himself for the worst.

Officer Costanza approached Ranger hesitantly, like an unarmed man entering a tiger's cage. He met Ranger's eyes, the storm brewing behind them causing him to lower his gaze and swallow audibly.

"_Mrs. Walker?"_ Ranger questioned, his tone flat and deadly; the noise in the room fading to a low hum.

Carl sighed, shaking his head dejectedly,_ "Of all the fucking luck, man. We have an eye witness that can't see shit. She was only able to tell us that he was Caucasian, large build, above six feet tall and had a deep, gravelly voice."_

Ranger tipped his head back against the wall, his jaw clenching tightly, _"Fuck,"_ He growled, the pulse point of his neck jumping rapidly.

Carl took an unconscious step backwards, his mind registering the danger before him; Ranger's tightly coiled body attesting to his lethal capabilities.

Carl cleared his throat, taking another step in retreat, _"Whenever you're ready, I'd like you to take another look around Steph's room; see if there is anything, other than the obvious, that is out of the ordinary." _

Ranger nodded and stalked into the bedroom, scanning the area for anything out of place; his anger simmering just below the surface at the thought of someone violating Stephanie's personal space. His eyes fell upon the top drawer of Stephanie's dresser; wedged open haphazardly, several items of clothing spilling from the drawer. His breath caught in his throat, knowing all too well the contents of that drawer. He wrapped his t-shirt around his hand, careful not to disturb any fingerprints, and opened the drawer. Half of the usual contents were missing, the wood creaking in protest as Ranger's hand tightened around it.

"_You find something?"_ Carl questioned from the doorway, eyeing Ranger cautiously.

Ranger nodded, gulping down a few steadying breaths; desperately trying to find his composure. _"There are some personal items missing from this drawer." _He rasped, his eyes snapping to Carl's face as he took a step forward. Ranger moved his body protectively in front of the dresser, his muscles tensing in anticipation.

Carl raised his hands in front of him, his eyes widening as he took a step back. Tank walked into the room, his gaze shifting between the two men. He sighed, approaching Ranger slowly. _"Listen man,"_ he murmured soothingly, placing a reassuring hand on Ranger's shoulder. _"He's just doing his job and…"_

"_How the fuck would you know what's missing from Stephanie's lingerie drawer?" _Morelli snarled as he followed Tank through the doorway. "_You were here alone before we got here… you're probably the sick bastard who took them!"_ Joe fumed, hatred reddening his face.

Ranger lurched forward, grabbing a fist full of Morelli's shirt and slamming him roughly up against the wall. _"Do you really want the answer to that question, Morelli?" Ranger growled, his lip curling in disgust, "You and I both know that I don't need to hide Stephanie's panties in my pockets. You on the other hand… might want to take a souvenir; because I can guarantee that you will NEVER touch her again."_

_"Boss,"_ Lester cleared his throat, his hand absently rubbing the back of his neck. Ranger's body stilled, intensely studying the man before him. _"We found a stack of cigarette butts outside on the fire escape and an unknown set of prints on nearly everything in the room. We also found this on the frame of her bed…"_ Lester held his flat palm out for Ranger's inspection, a tiny black recording device resting upon it.

Tremors rolled over Ranger's body as he battled to contain the rage within.

"_Fuck,"_ Carl whispered, scrubbing his hands over his face. _"We need to call a criminal profiler. We're not dealing with a disgruntled FTA." _

TBC…

Thoughts?


	3. The Burning of Embers

_**Disclaimer: Janet Evanovich owns the rights to the following characters. This story is only intended as artistic exercise. I am in no way profiting financially from it. **_

_**Warning: This story is intended for adult readers only; contains graphic violent content, mature themes and adult language.**_

_**This is a Babe story, and will have and eventual Babe HEA.**_

_**Breaking of Souls**_

_**Chapter 3: The Burning of Embers**_

* * *

Stephanie woke to the acrid smell of smoke wrapping around her, the scent conjuring images of social clubs and distraction jobs in her mind. She opened her eyes slowly, the sting of smoke biting at her drowsy eyes; a thick cloud of haze billowing softly around the poorly ventilated room.

She gasped as she noticed a figure looming in the dark recesses of the room, the glowing red spark of a cigarette ember casting a bloody glow across his face; the smoke writhing and curling like snakes into the air around him.

Stephanie's body trembled violently, her wide blue eyes resembling those of a frightened child.

He walked forward slowly, savoring a long drag from his cigarette; her eyes focusing in on his massive hands, thick and calloused from hard labor.

Stephanie studied his face as the light washed over his features; the strong line of his jaw, the wheat color of his hair, the deep cleft canyoning his chin; his face itself overshadowed by his lifeless amber eyes. She flinched at the evil radiating from them, yet she couldn't bring herself to look away; their depths, devoid of human emotion, sending tendrils of ice slithering through her core; shivering at the dark malevolent energy emitting from his body.

He stopped at the edge of the bed, his thighs pressed firmly against the mattress, his colossal frame towering over her, _"This isn't exactly the homecoming I had envisioned for us, Stephanie… though you have only yourself to blame for that,"_ he growled, his gravelly voice vibrating through her body.

Her tongue stuck to the roof of her mouth in her dehydrated state, _"Wh… Who are you?" _She rasped, leaning as far away from him as her restraints would allow.

He cocked his head to the side, a slow, manic smile spreading across his face, _"Oh… I think you know who I am. Search within yourself, I'm a part of your very being. We were made for each other, ordained to be together... In time you will see the truth behind my words."_

He raised his hand to her face, the smoke from his cigarette swirling around her head, stroking his thumb across her cheek; _"I have something very special planned for you… though it will have to wait." _He sighed in frustration, _"First, you must be punished for your betrayal."_

"_How could I betray you…? I've never even met you?"_ Stephanie pleaded bewilderedly, _"I've done nothing wrong!"_

"_Don't lie to me, Stephanie!" _He thundered,_ "I listened to the whole fucking thing, and I've replayed it over and OVER again in my mind_," He tapped the side of his head roughly, his eyes wide and crazed.

He took a drag of his cigarette, blowing the smoke out the side of his mouth. He lowered his hand to her, snuffing the cigarette in the tender flesh of her inner arm. Her body arching from the bed, a guttural scream tearing from her lips, her skin sizzling as the smell of burning flesh crept into her nostrils.

He pulled his hand away, leaning over to whisper in her ear, _"I'll forgive you this once… but if it happens again… I will crush the soul from your body_." She flinched as he leaned in to kiss the weeping burn on her arm, before standing and walking out of the room.

_

* * *

_

Morelli sat staring at Ranger balefully, the muscle in his jaw ticking; his irritation growing at the sight of Ranger's stony expression, his only movement coming from the barely perceptible rise and fall of his chest with his breathing.

Morelli stood, his chair scraping against the floor; raking his hands through his hair as he began pacing the small conference room; smirking as he passed Tank's imposing form, _"I don't think your boss will be in need of a body guard today."_

Tank chuckled humorlessly, _"Trust me Morelli, he's not the one who needs protecting. I'm here to make sure that you don't end up drinking through a straw for the rest of your life... or worse. "_

The door swung open, a tall, thin man walked briskly into the conference room, a black leather binder tucked under one arm; a cup of coffee balancing in his opposite hand, _"Thank you for meeting me here, gentlemen. My name is Agent Nielson of the FBI, I am the criminal profiler assigned to Miss Plum's case." _He placed his binder and coffee on the desk, motioning for Morelli to take a seat.

"_I am hoping that your close personal relationships with the victim will help to bridge the gaps in the respective time frames,"_ Agent Nielson sat behind the metal desk, one hand idly stirring the coffee in front of him, his analytical gaze dissecting each of the two men seated before him.

"_We estimate that Miss Plum was abducted between two and two-thirty on Sunday morning. I would like to discuss the forty eight hour time period prior to the abduction; any contact that you had with the victim, any variances from her typical routine, as well as your current relationship status with Miss Plum. Detective Morelli…"_ Agent Nielson's eyes fell upon Joe, silently requesting him to begin.

Morelli shifted in his chair_, "Steph and I have a long history together, we've dated on and off for the past two years. Recently we've been taking a break while she deals with some "work" related issues," _Joe paused, his eyes hardening_. "I spoke with her on Friday afternoon; nothing seemed to be out of the norm. I invited her over to my place for pizza, but she had to work another sleazy distraction job… which is probably where she picked her latest stalker," _Morelli turned his incriminating glare on Ranger.

Agent Nielson shook his head in disagreement, _"I highly doubt that Detective. Given the dust buildup found on the recording device, as well as the excessive amount of fingerprint traffic left in her apartment, I'd say that this has been going on for months… if not longer. The DNA results on the cigarette stubs all matched a single male profile, some of them only days old while others were in the advanced stages of decomposition… this would take several months, at the very least ."_

"_Christ,"_ Joe muttered, dropping his head into his hands; fear washing over him.

"_Mr. Manoso,"_ Agent Nielson began. _"Miss Plum is employed part time with your company, is she not?" _Ranger simply nodded his head in affirmation, _"And, your personal relationship with Miss Plum?"_

Ranger eyes narrowed dangerously, _"My personal relationship with Stephanie is just that, PERSONAL,"_ he grit through his teeth.

Agent Nielson sat back in his chair, sipping his coffee,_ "I understand your desire for privacy Mr. Manoso, and I am in no way trying to invade yours. However, I am alarmed that our perpetrator acted outside of his typical pattern of behavior. Prior to the abduction, his pursuits were impeccably planned. Until Sunday there was not a single eye witness in all of the months that he has been stalking Miss Plum. During the abduction he was flamboyant with his actions; making a bold statement of his claim to her. Something triggered this drastic change in his behavior and I am merely trying to discover what that something is. The more I can learn about his motives for the abduction the more accurately I can speculate on his intentions towards her now."_

Ranger sighed, _"Stephanie worked a distraction job for my company on Friday night; the takedown itself went down routinely. I drove her home afterwards," _he responded, averting the question.

"_Did you simply drop Miss Plum off at the apartment complex or did you escort her upstairs?" _Agent Nielson prodded.

"_I walked her upstairs to her apartment, as is customary," _Ranger answered evasively.

"_And, after that I presume that you left the complex?"_

Morelli peered up from out of his hands, his body tensing as he waited for Ranger's reply.

"_No," _Ranger said, squaring his shoulders.

Agent Nielson nodded unaffectedly, _"Did you then spend the night with Miss Plum at her residence?"_ Ranger hesitated, leaning his head towards his shoulders, popping his neck before giving a curt nod.

"_And, during that night were the two of you intimate with one another?"_

"_What the fuck does that have to do with anything?"_ Ranger growled furiously, appalled by the question.

"_Mr. Manoso, I do not have time for chivalry. Your cooperation is detrimental in the recovery of Miss Plum. So, I ask you again, were you or were you not intimate that night with Miss Plum?"_

Ranger sat grinding his teeth, eyeing Agent Nielson furtively, _"Yes."_

Morelli stood quickly, his chair toppling over onto the ground, _"Fuck." _He snarled, clenching and unclenching his fists, "_I need some air."_ He threw a murderous glare at Ranger before slamming the door behind him.

Agent Nielson rubbed his chin warily, "_Mr. Manoso, I make a good living studying the behaviors of others and I can see how much you love this girl. Given the circumstances, I'm going to be quite plain with you… Miss Plum is in grave danger. I believe that her abduction was triggered by the perpetrator's jealousy of your physical relationship with her; the tracking device would have enabled him to "witness" the event. In my professional opinion we are dealing with an Erotomaniac Stalker; this is someone who slowly exchanges reality for an imaginary world. He will most likely believe that Miss Plum is in love with him, that she is destined to be his soul mate. I fear that he will react violently towards her because of his imagined betrayal. He will be a man of above average intelligence who is unable to cope with rejection. I understand that Miss Plum is a strong willed woman who will not submit to any type of controlling behavior; based on these facts, I would estimate that her life expectancy is somewhere between 48 and 72 hours."_

Ranger jumped slightly as his phone vibrated in his pocket, _"Yo,"_ he chocked, his chest heaving with a mixture of despair and rage.

"_Boss, we got the lab results back from the stains found on Bomber's mattress. The results concluded that the substance is a hydrocarbon … unrefined, crude oil; it appears that our man is "roughneck" on an oil rig."_

Ranger's eyes snapped open, his mind and body preparing for the hunt ahead; a breakthrough… at last.

TBC…

*Thoughts?

*I know everyone is excited for the big reunion... the next chapter is almost finished and I am trying to muster up the motivation to finish it before the holiday weekend. If not, I will post sometime early next week.

Oh, and don't worry… we're almost out of the very dark and scary woods!


	4. A Whispered Confession

_**Disclaimer: Janet Evanovich owns the rights to the following characters. This story is only intended as artistic exercise. I am in no way profiting financially from it. **_

_**Warning: This story is intended for adult readers only; contains graphic violent content, mature themes and adult language.**_

_**This is a Babe story, and will have and eventual Babe HEA.**_

_**Breaking of Souls**_

_**Chapter 4: A Whispered Confession**_

* * *

Ranger stalked out of the conference room, barking orders into his phone as he left, _"I want the name of every Caucasian male employed on an oil rig in central New Jersey. I want their police and medical records, background checks and property titles on my desk within the hour. _" Ranger snapped the phone shut as he rounded a corner into the hallway; nearly colliding with a figure hovering just beyond the bend.

"_Manoso,"_ Morelli growled, his voice seething with distain. _"Off to play the super hero again? I always knew that you would end up hurting her. Your mere presence is toxic to anyone around you. I fucking warned her that this would happen, but she's just so damned stubborn!"_

"_I don't have time for this shit, Morelli,"_ Ranger snarled, stepping around him, his self restraint quickly unraveling.

Morelli blocked his path, their chests inches apart, _"Stay away from her!"_ He spit through his teeth. _"If you hadn't turned her into your personal whore she wouldn't be a part of this fucked up mess!"_

Ranger's eyes narrowed into slits, a fierce protectiveness washing over him; his fists begging to take a swing, _"I don't give a fuck what you say about me, Morelli, but if you EVER call Stephanie a whore again, it will be with your last breath." _Ranger shoved Morelli out of his way, stumbling backwards into the wall as he walked past him towards the exit. Tank followed closely behind him, breathing a sigh of relief that the confrontation hadn't escalated any further. The last thing anyone needed was for Ranger to be arrested for assaulting a cop.

Ranger took his usual seat behind the wheel of the Cayenne, silently driving towards Haywood and the Rangeman building.

Several minutes into the drive Ranger turned to look at Tank with a raised brow; sensing the man watching him from the corner of his eye. Tank sighed, trying to find the right words that would allow him to express his thoughts and keep his face intact at the same time.

Tank shifted uneasily in his chair, _"Listen man… I know you're blaming yourself for this, thinking that if you had kept your distance from her she wouldn't be suffering right now; but… you're wrong. SHE was targeted, and it wasn't because of you; he's been waiting for this opportunity for months," _Tank shook his head hopelessly. _"The situation was inevitable. If you give in to that misplaced guilt you'll be letting him win; giving him power over you and her. You can't take responsibility for someone else's actions. Don't believe a word Morelli said, the guy is so fucking jealous he's totally beyond reason. Stephanie is a beautiful woman and her bed wouldn't have stayed empty for long. It could have been any number of men to spend the night with her; hell, I don't know of a single man who would have turned her down. But regardless, it would have happened one way or another."_

Ranger nodded, willing himself to find solace in Tank's words.

He drove on autopilot, his body mechanically navigating the familiar route; the memory of that night replaying in his mind…

Stephanie lured the skip out of the bar in record time, Cal and Woody quickly subdued the man, with his face pressed into the pavement and his hands cuffed behind his back. Ranger's eyes raked up and down her body; her short satin dress displaying the creamy skin of her mile long legs; the back plunging to just above her hips, revealing the delicate curve of her body. Stephanie turned to flash a dazzling smile in Ranger's direction before sashaying up to him.

_"Proud of you, Babe,"_ he whispered, tucking a stray curl behind her ear. She blushed and stepped closer to him, seeking the comfort of his arms. He wrapped them around her, resting his chin on top of her head; allowing himself a moment of peace. He trailed his fingertips along the bare skin of her back, feeling her shiver against him; the cold night air nipping at her exposed skin. He pulled her against the side of his body, leading her towards the Turbo. He opened her door, stifling a groan as he watched her fold her gorgeous legs into the car.

He walked around slowly to the driver's side of the car, taking the opportunity to reign in his desire. Stephanie had broken up with Morelli three months ago, and Ranger had been waiting apprehensively for their reconciliation. As the time passed, a thread of hope wormed its way into Ranger's heart. The sexual tension between them had grown to an almost unbearable level; their stolen kisses and suggestive innuendo becoming more and more frequent. His thoughts were consumed with her, her mind, her body, her touch. He knew that if they were to be intimate with each other again he wouldn't be able to let her go. The thought of her going back to the cop felt like a dull blade being wrenched into his chest. He had to protect himself, losing her would be agonizing beyond words.

He lowered himself into the car, turning the key in the ignition; their free hands immediately gravitating towards one another. He rested their conjoined hands on the top of his thigh; her thumb drawing lazy circles on his skin. Stephanie leaned her head back against the head rest, a small content smile gracing her lips. He felt his own expression mirroring hers, thrilled to see the subtle changes in her demeanor; a new inner confidence exuding from her. She seemed happier than he had ever seen her before, like she was finally comfortable in her own skin. A fleeting thought passed through his mind, a hope that he was in some small way responsible for the smile on her face.

He gave her hand a gentle squeeze as they reached her apartment complex, pulling her from reverie. She turned to look at him, the fire burning in her eyes causing his mouth to run dry.

She leaned across the center console, her breasts skimming across his chest as she kissed the sensitive skin below his ear; a shiver rippled through his body at her gentle touch. It was unusual for her to be the aggressor, and it tested his carefully practiced control;_ "Babe,"_ Ranger growled huskily, _"Keep that up and I'll be making you a very happy woman."_ He felt her lips smiling against his neck, her breath raising goose bumps on his skin. She pulled away suddenly, his body aching painfully with disappointment.

Stephanie sighed, opening the passenger door and exiting the car. She shut the door behind her, bending over to peer into the open window, _"Well Batman… I guess you'll have to catch me first!" _She smiled wickedly before racing towards the building.

Ranger sat stunned for a moment before tearing from the car in pursuit, her challenge spurring him into action; his speed quickly gaining on her. She smiled triumphantly as the elevator doors closed in front of him, giving him a small flirtatious wave. Ranger chuckled, running towards the stairwell and racing up to the second floor. He exited the stairwell as the elevator doors dinged open, a predatory gleam in his eyes. She squealed as she fumbled with her keys, her playful excitement bubbling from her. Ranger stalked towards her, pinning her against the door with his weight, the hard planes of his body molding to her soft curves; _"Feeling playful, Babe?"_

Her mouth parted slightly, her eyes captivated on his lips as a slow, sexy smile spread across his face. She reached behind her back slyly, distracting him with a small kiss before whirling around and sprinting through the door. He lunged forward, catching her around the waist and lifting her off of the floor; her legs running uselessly in mid air. She giggled as he threw her over his shoulder and carried her towards the bedroom. He tossed her onto the bed, jumping on top of her, pinning her gently beneath him.

She blew a stray curl off of her forehead, her chest heaving with exertion. He met her eyes, smiling at the mischief sparkling in hers, _"Getting a little slow in your old age, Batman?" _Ranger quirked an eyebrow in mock indignation before tickling her ribs mercilessly. She shrieked, struggling against his assault until she was begging, through strangled laughter for him to stop. He pinned her hands above her head, silencing her with a tender kiss. He leaned back on his elbow to look into her face; her cheeks flushed with desire, her azure eyes darkening into midnight blue. He had never seen anything so beautiful.

For too long she had been his guilty pleasure, a secret addiction without cure; and suddenly, it wasn't enough. He wanted her… needed her in every aspect of his life; to be her best friend, her companion, her lover. Everything that he had ever desired lay wrapped up in his arms. He felt his frigid exterior melting away, exposing a softer side of him that had long been buried. In her presence his heart felt lighter, his cross in life easier to bear.

Lost in his thoughts, a whispered confession escaped his lips, _"Te amo." _

She stared into his eyes, tears pooling in her own, _"I love you too,"_ she whispered, her voice thick with emotion. She threaded her fingers through his hair, pulling him to her; the heat of their bodies warming him to his very core. His body worshipped her flesh while his heart treasured her soul; each leaving their imprint deep within one another. They made love reverently, their emotions pouring from them; love, passion, possession, an endless yearning. In that moment that futures were entwined irrevocably, each of their hearts belonging to the other.

Ranger pulled into the parking garage with no recollection of how he had gotten there; silently scolding himself for daydreaming. He climbed out of the car, his mind focusing in on the task at hand… the most important mission of his life.

_

* * *

_

Stephanie drifted drowsily between consciousness and sleep. She knew that she was being sedated, but that knowledge did little to combat her fatigue; her thoughts clouded and disoriented. She smiled sleepily as she felt a warm hand tucking a stray curl behind her ear. Her body responding automatically to the familiar touch, _"Mmmm… Ranger_…" she mumbled sleepily, her eyes fluttering open, sinking into chilling amber depths.

"_What the fuck did you just say?"_ He hissed scathingly, the muscles in his face twitching with rage

Stephanie's mind whirled sluggishly, desperately seeking his desired reply; the look on his face telling her that she had just made a very grave mistake.

TBC…

*So…. what do you think so far? Thoughts? Comments?

*I promise an HEA is coming… it's just taking a little while to get there : )


	5. The Eyes of a Monster

_**Disclaimer: Janet Evanovich owns the rights to the following characters. This story is only intended as artistic exercise. I am in no way profiting financially from it. **_

_**Warning: This story is intended for adult readers only; contains graphic violent content, mature themes and adult language.**_

_**This is a Babe story, and will have and eventual Babe HEA.**_

_**Breaking of Souls**_

_**Chapter 5: The Eyes of a Monster**_

* * *

_Previously…._

_Stephanie drifted drowsily between consciousness and sleep. She knew that she was being sedated but that knowledge did little to combat her fatigue; her thoughts remaining clouded. She smiled sleepily as she felt a warm hand tucking a stray curl behind her ear. Her body responding automatically to the familiar touch, "Mmmm… Ranger…" she mumbled sleepily, her eyes fluttering open, sinking into chilling amber depths._

"_What the fuck did you just say?" He hissed scathingly, the muscles in his face twitching with rage_

_Stephanie's mind whirled sluggishly, desperately seeking his desired reply, the look on his face telling her that she had just made a very grave mistake._

* * *

"_Pl… Please!"_ She stuttered pleadingly. _"I didn't mean it… Please, I'm sorry!"_ She had never felt as terrified in her life as she did in this moment; staring into the eyes of a monster.

"_Shut up!"_ He screamed, his eyes wide and crazed. His hands shot forward, gripping her jaw, the bone flexing under his iron grasp as his fingers dug into the flesh of her throat; as if he could shove the words back into her mouth. He straddled her defenseless body; the mattress springs squeaking under the addition of his weight. A cry of pain hissed through her clenched teeth as she thrashed her head wildly back and forth in an effort to free herself. His hand slid across her face, his thumb pressing against her lips. She bit down hard, the copper taste of blood filling her mouth. She gasped in pain as he delivered a vicious blow to her ribs, her teeth separating, freeing his shredded flesh.

"_You fucking bitch!"_ He snarled, His hands sliding from her jaw to her neck, leaning forward onto his arms, bearing down on her throat; strangling the life from her. The whole situation felt surreal as her thoughts detached from her body. Despite the many times before that she had been faced with life or death situations, she never once fathomed hers ending this way. She had traveled the road of denial too far.

She closed her eyes, the pressure building in her head, images of her life flashing behind her closed lids. Her hopes and dreams, her accomplishments and failures folding out in front of her. She felt a deep twinge of remorse for the dreams she had yet to fulfill. One picture flashing over and over again in her mind, the face of the only man she had ever truly loved; her soul mate, her protector. Though, even he couldn't protect her this time. She prayed that he would know how much she loved him and that he wouldn't blame himself for not being able to save her; but, she knew without a doubt that he would stop at nothing to avenge her death. She smiled internally at the thought. This man had no idea of the amount of pain and fear that awaits him in his future. Hell would come as a relief after facing those demons.

"_Look at me!"_ He screamed his face just inches from hers, the veins bulging from his forehead. _"I want you to look at me as the last breath leaves your body! I want to see the life leave your eyes!"_

She refused to open her eyes. Not wanting the image of his face to be her last memory on this earth. Instead she fought harder, bucking and twisting her hips, trying to dislodge him from her; the decaying bed frame groaning with the movement of their bodies.

She could feel the push and pull of the rusting iron rail above her giving way, like the weakening joint of a soda pop tab. She pulled with all of her strength against her handcuffs, the corroded metal yielding under the force, her body tingling with the onset of unconsciousness. Her arms wrenched forward as the rail separated from the frame. She wrapped her hands around the rod instinctively like a baseball bat, swinging her arms across her body, the metal connecting with the side of his head; chiming noisily with the violent impact against his skull. His eyes widened in stunned surprise as she swung again, before he could react to her assault, the blow whipping his head to the side as blood sprayed the room around her. His eyelids drooped heavily over his dazed eyes, his lower jaw hanging limply as his body swayed on top of hers before sagging towards the side of the bed and tumbling unconsciously to the floor; like a puppet cut loose from its strings.

Stephanie chocked in a frantic breath, the air grating against the raw tissue of her throat. Black spots danced in her vision from lack of oxygen as she stood from the bed, her body trembling with pain as she stepped over his motionless form; heading for freedom just beyond the door. She lurched forward as she felt his hand clench tightly around her ankle; Startled, she kicked backwards forcefully, her heal connecting with flesh, the sickening crunch of a bone breaking echoing throughout the room. His hand fell slack, his head falling to the floor with a thud as she wiggled free of his grasp; a crimson pool of blood seeping out around his face, painting the cement beneath him.

She ran on wobbly legs to the door, wrenching it open and looking for the closest exit. She ran up a flight of stairs to the front door of a split entry home. She cursed herself as her fingers fumbled clumsily with the locks, not daring to look behind her. She sprinted through the door, the sunlight blinding her vision as she stumbled in the glaring light. She blinked rapidly, squinting against the bright light as she looked around her; taking stock of her surroundings. The rural area surrounding the house was heavily wooded without a single house in sight. She darted for the cover of the trees, not even aware of which direction she was running in as the rocks and vegetation tore into the soles of her bare feet; the voice in her mind screaming for her to, _" just keep running!"_ She ran through the tree line, cringing from the sound of every snapped twig, every rustle of the leaves; her mind conjuring his image lurking in every dark shadow. She stumbled over the root of a tree, scraping her hands into the dirt as she fell, her balance thrown off center with her hands cuffed in front of her. She scrambled to her feet, the adrenaline propelling her body into motion.

She ran for what felt like hours until she reached a clearing in the trees; a carefully manicured lawn lining the perimeter. She slowed her pace at the edge of the woods, looking around hesitantly for any sign of danger before running towards the large colonial style house positioned on the center of the property. She ran up the wooden porch steps to the back door, pounding frantically against the metal screen door. She panicked after several long moments of no response, feeling exposed and vulnerable out in the open; desperate for a telephone and the safety of shelter. She looked around her, noticing a shovel propped up against the side of the house next to a small vegetable garden. She retrieved it, carrying it with her as she walked along the edge of the house to a basement window. She adjusted her grip on the wooden handle and swung the steel blade into the window; the shattered glass raining down upon her. She pushed the curtains aside as she gingerly climbed through the window, broken shards of glass slicing the exposed skin of her legs and arms.

She entered a large family room, the orange shag carpet and wood paneling giving away the age of the home and its respective tenants. She ran through the house, searching frantically for a telephone. She nearly cried with relief as she spotted an old mustard colored rotary phone on the basement wall. She remembered fleetingly that Grandma Mazur had kept the same telephone in her home when she was a little girl, the long phone jack allowing her to move about the house as she talked on the phone. Stephanie tore the handset from the wall, running through the open doorway adjacent to it, closing the door over the cord and setting the phone on the floor. She looked around the small, windowless storage room; plastic bins and totes were stacked from the floor to the ceiling. An aluminum Christmas tree, a set of golf clubs and ancient sewing machine filled the remaining space. She heaved several plastic containers in front of the door, feebly barricading herself inside.

She grabbed the phone, her back sliding down against the wall as she began to make the call; the spinning of the rotary dial driving her mad with its lengthy process. She placed the receiver awkwardly to her ear, her handcuffs clanking against the plastic as she listened to the sound of the phone connecting over the line.

* * *

Ranger paced the control room floor, his anger growing with every wasted moment that passed; the festering hole in his chest aching painfully with despair. The men around him searched their records frantically, looking for any possible lead; their efforts producing dead end after dead end. Thousands of men matched the abductor's profile, weeding through them all would take weeks. Time that they all knew Stephanie didn't have. Ranger looked at his men, each man's expression mirroring his own; rage, sadness, fear clearly displayed on their faces. Her loss was felt greatly.

His phone vibrating in his pocket brought him out of his musings, his brow furrowing at the unfamiliar number.

He placed the phone to his ear, listening to the shuddering of frantic breath. His throat constricting with emotion as he whispered, _"Babe?"_

Silence descended upon the room, twenty sets of eyes turned to stare at Ranger with baited breath; a glimmer of hope swelling in their hearts.

TBC…

*So… what do you think? Ready for the big reunion yet? I'd love to hear your thoughts so far. : )


	6. When Nightmares Unfold

_**Disclaimer: Janet Evanovich owns the rights to the following characters. This story is only intended as artistic exercise. I am in no way profiting financially from it. **_

_**Warning: This story is intended for adult readers only; contains graphic violent content, mature themes and adult language.**_

_**This is a Babe story, and will have and eventual Babe HEA.**_

_**Breaking of Souls**_

_**Chapter 6: When Nightmares Unfold**_

* * *

_Previously…_

_His phone vibrating in his pocket brought him out of his musings, his brow furrowing at the unfamiliar number._

_He placed the phone to his ear, listening to the shuddering of frantic breath; his throat constricting with emotion as he whispered, "Babe?"_

_Silence descended upon the room, twenty sets of eyes turned to stare at Ranger with baited breath; a glimmer of hope swelling in their hearts._

* * *

Ranger stood trembling with anticipation, desperately wanting to hear the sound of her voice.

"_Ranger,"_ Stephanie rasped, her voice thick with tears.

Ranger's shoulders drooped, his head falling back in relief, _"Thank God... Babe, where are you? Are you hurt?"_

"_I… I don't know where I am. Please, Ranger… Hurry! He'll find me, I know he will! Please_…" she pleaded hysterically.

Ranger's head snapped to attention, his eyes locking with Zero's, motioning towards his phone with his hand, silently ordering him to trace the call. Zero nodded, his eyes focusing on the screen in front of him, his fingers flying over the keyboard.

"_Shhh… Babe, it's okay. I'll find you,"_ he whispered soothingly, omitting his intentions of finding her abductor as well; and ripping his still beating heart from his chest.

"_Boss, the call is coming from a rural area in Morris County, near Parsippany. I've locked in on the coordinates… we're about an hour and fifteen minutes away." _

Ranger ran from the room, barking orders over his shoulder as he left,_ "Contact Agent Nielson and the Parsippany P.D. and fill them in on the situation."_

The room burst into action, men scrambling for the exits and pouring into the stairwells. Someone had hurt one of their own and each man wanted a part in delivering justice. Ranger reached the garage first, running towards the Turbo. Tonight he would test its 193 mph track speed, and it wouldn't be fast enough. He reached for the driver's side door, only to be pushed out of the way. Still holding his phone to his ear, Ranger flipped around, turning his murderous glare on Tank.

"_Not tonight, man,"_ Tank shook his head, snatching the keys out of Ranger's shaking hand. _"You focus on Bomber and I'll drive."_ Ranger started to protest and then nodded, realizing that he was in no condition to drive at that speed. Tank slid his massive body behind the wheel as Ranger ran to the passenger side, jumping into the car. They peeled out of the garage, the tires screeching against the pavement; the procession of black vehicles following them resembled the Presidential motorcade.

"_We're on our way, Babe. We'll get there as quickly as we can." _Ranger leaned over to look at the speedometer; even at this speed it would take them at least thirty minutes to reach her.

Stephanie sobbed into the phone, overwhelmed with fear and exhaustion, _"Ranger! Please hurry, I'm…"_

Stephanie stopped abruptly, sending a chill racing down his spine.

"_Babe?... Stephanie… Talk to me, Babe!"_

"_Sss… somebody's in the house!"_ She whispered, her voice wobbling with terror.

"_Babe, PLEASE stay calm. Is there anywhere that you can hide? Look around you for anything that can be used as a weapon or..." _

Stephanie gasped, her fear slicing through him, _"Oh God! He's coming!" _

Ranger heard the phone crackling as it dropped to the ground, the muffled scurrying sound of movement, and then… silence.

The moment seemed to suspend in time, his body aching painfully with dreaded anticipation. Tank turned to look at Ranger, his foot pressing down harder on the already flat gas pedal.

Ranger flinched at the sound of three loud bangs that sounded like a fist beating on a wooden door; his heart hammering frantically in his chest. He clutched his head in his hands, his free hand fisting in his hair. He had never felt so helpless. _"No… Please!"_ He whispered brokenly.

His breath caught in his throat at the machinistic sound of metal snapping once... and then again,_ "Chk chkk."_ The unmistakable sound of shot gun being cocked

"_Fuck!"_ He grit through his clenched teeth, his stomach rebelling, forcing the acid up into his throat. He swallowed back the bile, his body shaking violently, listening to his worst nightmare unfold.

* * *

Stephanie crouched down behind a stack of storing totes, her hands covering her face, too afraid to breathe. She had sealed herself into a room with only one exit, there was no way to escape; she was trapped inside with the devil.

She listened, paralyzed with fear as the doorknob turned and yelped as the door crashed open; the containers barricading the door slamming roughly against the wall. She listened to the footsteps moving closer, closing in, stopping just in front of her hiding place. She screamed as the totes tumbled down around her, exposing her position. Cornered and helpless, she cowered into the ground, covering her head with her hands. She prayed silently for a quick death… she had suffered enough. She closed her eyes tightly… waiting.

"_What the fuck is going on here!" _A man's voice roared, the timber not matching her abductors, _"What right do you have to break into MY house and rob..."_ he trailed off, clearly surprised at his discovery.

Stephanie peered out from under her arms, tremors wracking her body as she looked up into the man's face. He was an elderly man, his skin creased and weathered but his posture was straight and strong. He met her gaze, looking down the barrel of his gun at her; his eyes widening as they trailed over the bruises on her face and throat.

"_What in the hell…"_ he muttered lowering his gun; his hand reaching out to touch the handcuffs on her bloody wrists.

She cringed away from him, tears streaming down her face. He pulled his hand back, placing it to rub his whiskered chin, _"It's okay honey. I ain't gonna hurt 'cha."_

He crouched down beside her, speaking gently, _"Who did this to you?"_

Stephanie swallowed, blinking the tears from her eyes; _"I… I don't know his name. He took me to a house just through the woods from here. I ran away… but, he's going to find me and…"_

"_Over my dead body,"_ the man growled vehemently patting the butt of his gun. _"Me and Norma here are gonna keep ya safe. A man's gotta be a real monster to do that to a lady. I think we better get 'cha to the hospital to have your wrists looked at though… is there somebody I should call for ya?"_

Stephanie pointed towards the phone, the receiver sprawled across the floor. She winched as she tried to stand, clutching at her throbbing ribs. He motioned for her to stay still, picking up the phone and placing it to his ear, _"Hello?"_

Stephanie watched the man, listening to the faint rumble of Ranger's voice over the line.

"_Nope… nope… not gonna be necessary…. Yeah, she's in rough shape though…. Uh huh… Alright then, I'll let her know."_ He hung up the phone, turning back to look at her.

"_Your fella there said he's almost here. Say's if I don't keep ya safe he'll hunt me down like a dog…"_ he paused, one side of his mouth pulling up into a half smile. _"Good man… I think I'll like him."_

Stephanie let out a strangled laugh, rolling onto her side to face him; nodding her head in agreement, _"He is a good man... the best man I know." _She began to shiver, a fine sheen of sweat glistening across her face as her body went into shock.

He turned his back to her, rummaging through one of the plastic containers and retrieving an old fleece blanket. He draped it across her, for the first time noticing her half dressed state; wearing only a t-shirt and underwear.

"_Can't have half the town barging in here with a naked lady in my house… though, I'd probably be a legend down at the Eagle's Club." _He smiled wryly, his warm blue eyes crinkling. "_The name's Charlie by the way."_

"_Thank you, Charlie"_ she said snuggling into the blanket. _"You can call me Steph."_ She closed her heavy lidded eyes, the sound of sirens screaming in the distance.

* * *

Tank and Ranger followed the ambulance up the gravel driveway to the house. Ranger leaned to the edge of his seat impatiently, trying to see around the slower moving vehicle.

Fifty yards from the house Ranger wrenched the door open, Tank slammed on the breaks as Ranger hurtled from the car sprinting across the lawn and running up the steps into the house; the knot in his chest tightening. He ran towards the stairs to the basement, rounding the corner, the barrel of a shotgun pressing into his chest.

"_Who the hell are you?"_ Charlie snarled, eyeing Ranger skeptically.

Ranger held his hands up in the air, _"My name is Carlos Manoso, I just spoke with you over the phone… where's Stephanie?"_

Charlie lowered his gun, his eyes giving the dangerous looking man in black one last appraising sweep. _"She's downstairs… poor thing is going into shock… she's been askin' for ya."_

Ranger stepped around him, flying down the stairs. His eyes following the phone line into a small room on the right. He entered the room, his steps faltering at the sight before him.

Stephanie lay on the floor in fetal position with her hands cuffed in front of her; the skin of her wrists bloody and oozing with infection. Her wild curls matted and wet with sweat. Dark, angry bruises wrapped around her throat in the perfect shape of a man's hands.

He fell to his knees before her, realizing how close he had come to losing her. Stephanie opened her eyes, tears pooling as she looked at him. _"Ranger,"_ she choked, the tears spilling over onto her cheeks.

With trembling hands he scooped her up gently, cradeling her into his chest and burying his face in her curls. _"God, Babe… I thought,"_ he swallowed roughly, fighting to contain his own tears.

She pulled her head back to look into his eyes, cupping his face in her hands, _"I love you," _she whispered, her thumb rubbing back and forth across his lips. She had never seen Ranger so emotional and the pain in his eyes was too much for her to bear.

His chin quivered as he stared back at her, his shoulders shaking lightly; a single tear trailing down his face, _"I love you too, Stephanie… always have_." He bent down towards her kissing her tenderly, tasting the salt from their tears, savoring the feel of her safe in his arms.

The bravest of men… brought to his knees by the love of a woman.

* * *

Tank stood at the top of the stairs gathering information from Charlie, _"Apparently, he took her to the Jackson's farm up the road. The place has been empty for years. Couldn't have been one of them either… they never did have any sons."_

Tank turned to nod a Lester, Cal and Ram; indicating for them to sweep the premises. _"If you find the fucker, keep him alive… Boss' orders."_ The privilege of killing the bastard belonged to Ranger alone and his death would be horrific beyond imagination. They nodded, running out of the door, adrenaline flooding through their bodies. Tank and Bobby made their way down the stairs, pausing just outside of the door, their eyes misting over at the scene before them.

Bobby approached the couple, his eyes focusing in on Stephanie's injuries, _"Ranger, man, you've got to set her down so that I can look her over."_

Ranger hesitated, his eyes never leaving Stephanie's face _"I… I can't,"_ he whispered honestly. He couldn't bring himself to let her go.

Bobby stared at him, seeing the desperation in his eyes. _"Okay… I'll just work around you then." _He picked up Stephanie's wrists gingerly, cringing at the raw, mangled flesh, _"How about we get these cuffs off of you, Sweetheart?"_

They all turned, looking expectantly at the doorway at the sound of feet thundering down the stairs.

"_Boss,"_ Lester burst through the doorway, breathing heavily. _"He's gone… but you might want to take a look at this_." He held a brown leather journal out in his hands, the name Derek Cain embossed across the cover in gold leafing.

Ranger lifted his head to look at his men, a slow deadly smile spreading across his face. It was time to teach this fucker a lesson; One that he would never live to repeat.

TBC…

*So… is anyone else doing a happy dance? Thoughts?

*We'll learn more about our ever elusive stalker and his background in the next chapter. Thank you so much to everyone who has left a review so far! Without your encouragement I wouldn't continue to write on Fan Fiction… thanks again!!!


	7. Memoirs of a Stalker

_**Disclaimer: Janet Evanovich owns the rights to the following characters. This story is only intended as artistic exercise. I am in no way profiting financially from it. **_

_**Warning: This story is intended for adult readers only; contains graphic violent content, mature themes and adult language.**_

_**This is a Babe story, and will have and eventual Babe HEA.**_

_**Breaking of Souls**_

_**Chapter 7: Memoirs of a Stalker**_

* * *

Ranger raised Stephanie's wrists to his lips, placing a kiss to each of her freshly bandaged wounds. She lay asleep in his arms with her face burrowed snuggly into his chest. He traced the delicate lines of her profile, each feature sculpted to perfection in his eyes. He was thankful that her physical injuries were relatively minor; however, he knew that her emotional scars would take much longer to heal.

The Morris County Sheriff sauntered over to Ranger, his smug arrogance radiating from him, _"Well… my boys are all finished up at the Jackson's place. Between the fingerprints, blood and hair samples, handwriting verification and saliva samples, this guy doesn't have a chance in hell of acquittal… should make for a pretty cut and dry trial once we bring him in to custody."_ He drawled on confidently, shoving his hands into his pockets and rocking back onto his heels.

Ranger nodded indulgently at the self inflated man, his words falling on deaf ears. Derek Cain's fate was sealed the moment that he laid eyes on his Babe; and his sentence would not be delivered by a judge and jury.

Clearly disappointed in Ranger's lack of praise, the Sheriff waltzed off, spreading his bravado elsewhere.

Agent Nielsen walked into the storage room, wiping the sweat from his brow with his sleeve as he approached Ranger; clutching Cain's diary in his hand. He looked down at Stephanie's sleeping form, his eyes revealing his concern.

"_Mr. Manoso, I wanted to update you on the information I've received about our perpetrator so far_. _His name is Derek Alan Cain, thirty two years of age, born January 3__rd__, 1977, to Alan and Sandra Cain. Little is known about his adolescent years, other than the fact that he was branded early on in his childhood as loner. He scored near genius levels on his college entry exams, landing him a full ride scholarship to Princeton University. However, his scholarship was revoked six months into his first semester when his literature teacher filed harassment charges against him for sending her threatening, sexually explicit love letters. The police report stated that Cain was aloof and unrepentant during his questioning. Since then he has had a string of manual labor jobs, the longest length of employment being eighteen months. He is currently working for Flint Ridge Energy as a roughneck on an oil rig just outside of Trenton. I spoke with his employer regarding Mr. Cain's whereabouts; he stated that he has taken a personal leave of absence, helping to transition his new WIFE into married life." _

Ranger's hands tightened possessively around Stephanie at the word.

"_I'd also like to speak with you about what I've just read in his journal… the content is… well, let's just say that it's beyond disturbing." _Ranger's eyes snapped up to lock with Agent Nielson's, nodding for him to continue.

"_In my twenty years as a profiler, I have never seen such an extreme case of morbid obsession. It is clear that Mr. Cain is indeed an Erotomaniac. He also exhibits signs of necrophilia, an intense sexual fascination with death. Be aware that he will not be deterred by personal threats or legal sanctions. He will only view this as another obstacle for him to overcome on her behalf. Even if he were to be detained and treated, people with this level of psychosis do not respond well to clinical rehabilitation. I believe now that Miss Plum has rejected him, his intentions will be to eliminate you as an obstacle and "free" Miss Plum, either through his eternal devotion to her or by granting her death by his hand. You, yourself are in serious danger. I believe that he will see you as his biggest obstacle and the source of Miss Plum's resistance towards him. His actions will be persistent, unexpected and dangerous .Initially he may revert back to his previous state of little contact; he may even attempt to contact her, seeking reconciliation. Do not let your guard down if time passes without any incident or sighting of him. He will not be discouraged by time or distance. He will try to catch you off guard, lulling you into the belief that he has lost interest in her. Take great care with your own personal safety, as well as hers… I do not believe the outcome of this situation will be a pleasant one."_

Agent Neilson looked around furtively, stepping closer to Ranger and lowering his voice; _"Off the record, this man WILL kill her… and you, before he is willing to face rejection and accept his own powerlessness," _He paused, weighing his words carefully_. "Ten years ago my daughter ended an abusive relationship with a man that she was engaged to marry. He refused to accept her decision, sending her cards and roses, showing up at her work and in places that she frequented, desperately trying to rekindle their relationship. When she resisted his advances he became aggressive and began stalking her. She played everything by the book. She took out a restraining order against him and installed a security system in her home. She even went as far as taking self defense classes and purchasing a hand gun. He showed up at her house on her twenty fifth birthday with a gift. When…" _He swallowed roughly before continuing_, "When she refused to open the present, he shot and killed her, right there on her front porch steps." _He paused, his face twisting with pain. _"She was still warm when_ _my wife and I found her there… instead of celebrating my daughter's birth, I mourned her death."_

He looked into Ranger's eyes, willing him to understand, _"If I could go back in time, I would take ANY measure necessary to save my daughter. I put my faith in the legal system to protect her… and I will regret that decision for the rest of my life."_

Ranger was filled sympathy and respect for the man before him; for his courage in sharing his heart breaking story, in the hope of preventing a similar tragedy. The intense sorrow exuding from him made Ranger unconsciously recoil away from him; praying that he would never carry this man's burden. Ranger nodded, extending his hand to Agent Nielson. _"Thank you. I will keep her safe. There is no limit to what I would do in order to protect her."_

Agent Nielson accepted Ranger's offered hand, _"Good, because I fear those limits are about to be tested." _He placed Cain's diary back into Ranger's hand, and turned to walk out of the door. He paused at the threshold, not bothering to turn around, _"One more thing… NEVER, under any circumstances, allow her read that. Satan himself would be haunted by those words." _

Ranger turned the diary over in his hands, leafing through the pages with his thumb; torn between the need to gain knowledge over his enemy and his aversion to being plagued with the memories. _"No limits,"_ he thought, opening the pages at random, reading the memoirs of a stalker…

February 2nd, 2009

_I've finally found her, my destiny. I saw her picture in the paper today, and it was as if her eyes were boring into my soul; begging me for release from her dreary and pathetic existence; wandering blindly without me. I believe that she is searching for me, sending me messages and signals through code. I cut the eyes out of her photo, needing relief from the intensity of her stare; their depths driving me to the brink of insanity. I found her parents telephone number listed in the directory, I called and spoke with her mother, claiming to be an old friend of Stephanie's who wants to get back in touch with her. She gave me her address and phone number, telling me that she is sure Stephanie would love to hear from me… even her own mother can feel the connection between us. My life has finally found an everlasting purpose in the form of Stephanie Plum._

Ranger's hands gripped the diary tightly, the spine flexing under his grasp as his stomach rolled at the inner workings of a sadist. He flipped through the pages, continuing …

May 5th, 2009

_I watched her sleep for hours last night, her body bathed in the soft glow of moonlight. I was thankful for the intense heat of the day, forcing her to sleep in only a pair of blue silk panties. I know that she wore them for me, luring me in with the enticement of her body. I will go back tonight and take them, adding them to my private collection. She has the most beautiful skin I have ever seen, like a mixture of cream and silk, and it makes me wonder… what she looks like beneath it. I ache to explore her fully, to peel back her layers and see what's hidden inside; to hold her heart in my hands and consume the flesh that binds her. Someday, we'll shed ourselves of our mortal gloves, leaving behind the filth of humanity; for only then can usher I my bride to God._

September 12th, 2009

_I fear something terrible has possessed me, that a monster lurks within. This morning I woke with my hands and clothes saturated in blood; my fingernails uprooted from their beds with chunks of blonde hair twined through my fingers. The last thing that I remember is watching my love on the dance floor, her short emerald dress swirling around her legs as she swayed to the music; taunting me, teasing me with the movements of her body. I walked out onto the dance floor, needing to be close to her; stopping just a breath away as I soaked in her presence. She brushed against me, smiling innocently as she passed; but, she doesn't fool me. I know that she is testing me, baiting me for a reaction, challenging me to pursue her. I watched as HE came to her, pulling her to him in a perverse attempt to replicate the love that we share… that we are destined to experience together. Looking at my bloody hands, I send her a mental warning; be careful my love, someone else atoned for your sins last night, but you may not be so lucky in the future._

December 4th, 2009

_What I experienced tonight was more painful than death; listening to the sound of my love being soiled with the seed of an inferior man. I made a plan to join us together for eternity… but she was too impatient to wait; consciously provoking me with her malicious affair. I feel her betrayal deep within my bones; a pain so intense that I'm crippled by it. I carved her name into the flesh of my arm, willing her to feel my anguish. I listened to her give herself over to his ministrations; every sigh, every moan, piercing through my heart. She spoke words, the darkest of blasphemies, professing her love to that imposter. She has forced my hand. Though, I know that he is the one who is preventing her from coming to me, polluting her mind with fallacies. She must be punished and cleansed of her immorality. I must take what is mine, and cut the head from the snake._

The words on the page blurred as Ranger's hands shook with fury; the movement rousing Stephanie from her sleep. Sensing her wake, Ranger dropped the book from his hands as if he had been burned, schooling his features to feign nonchalance.

"_Babe,"_ he whispered with a soft smile, praying she didn't pick up on his unease.

There was a bustle of movement at the door as Tank, Lester and Charlie came into the room, the small area causing them to huddle closely together, _"How ya feelin' honey?" _Charlie's weathered face softened as he looked into Stephanie's eyes.

"_Much better… thank you. And, Charlie… I'm really sorry about your window."_

"_Oh, nonsense,"_ Charlie waved his hand dismissively. _"You can break in anytime. Besides, it's not every day that an ole' boy like me get's to spend his afternoon with a beautiful lady_." He waggled his eyebrows suggestively, winning a giggle from Stephanie. _"Looks like they're just about to wrap things up here…" _He paused giving the enormous men around him an appraising stare, _"Ya sure this bunch can keep ya safe? Me and Norma would be glad to offer our services."_

Tank's eyebrows shot up to his hairline in disbelief, while Lester choked back a laugh, slinging an arm around Charlie's shoulders. _"You know Charlie… I think I might just have the perfect woman for you. Her name is Edna and …"_

Ranger carried Stephanie out of the door, his laughter healing the ache in her chest.

TBC…

*So… what do you think about Mr. Cain? I'm torn between Ranger telling her about the journal or not…

*Thoughts?

*Thanks again to everyone who left a review on the last chapter… they brighten my day. : ) Also, I wanted to send a big "thank you" to all of those people who have left anonymous reviews that I cannot thank personally!

*Fact, 1.4 million American's are stalked every year. If you, or someone that you know, would like more information please google search: End Stalking In America and visit their site.


	8. A Moment of Purity

_**Disclaimer: Janet Evanovich owns the rights to the following characters. This story is only intended as artistic exercise. I am in no way profiting financially from it. **_

_**Warning: This story is intended for adult readers only; contains graphic violent content, mature themes and adult language.**_

_**This is a Babe story, and will have and eventual Babe HEA.**_

_***This chapter contains explicit sexual content. Cupcake Warning.***_

_**Breaking of Souls**_

_**Chapter 8: A Moment of Purity**_

* * *

"_You're an incredibly lucky woman, Miss Plum,"_ the doctor mused, scanning the x-ray in his hands. _"I'd like you to take an anti inflammatory for the next few days to help with the swelling. I'm also prescribing an antibiotic ointment for your wrists and for the burn on your arm. Give me a call if you notice the tissue turning a deep red or oozing a yellowish discharge... All in all, I think with some rest and a little TLC, you'll be feeling better in no time." _He tucked the x-ray back into her chart and signed her release forms.

"_So… I can leave now?"_ Stephanie questioned impatiently, the sterile environment giving her an eye twitch.

Ranger chuckled beside her, giving her hand a gentle squeeze.

"_Well… unless you'd like to stay… we have an empty room down the hall…"_ the doctor trailed off, leaving the offer hanging in the air, his eyes twinkling with amusement at the look of horror spreading across her face.

"_No!... No no! That's fine, thank you. I'd really hate to be a burden,"_ She said, stumbling over her words in a rush to reassure him, swinging her slippered feet off the side of the bed. She could almost feel the glossy white walls closing in around her.

Ranger tipped his head back and laughed at her frantic attempt to escape. Only his Babe could survive three days in hell and still fear the confines of a hospital bed.

A soft knock froze her in her frenzied movements, the door opening partially as Hal's monstrous form peeked into the room, _"Boss… Morelli's here… and he's demanding to see Miss Plum."_

Ranger stiffened as Stephanie collapsed back onto her pillows, grumbling under her breath, _"Of course he is… how silly of me to think that the patient privacy act extends to the Burg…. there's probably an entire circus in the waiting room by now…"_

Ranger smiled internally at the prospect of throwing Morelli out on his ass, _"Babe, you don't have to see him now,"_ or ever, he amended silently.

Stephanie blew out a puff of air, chewing on her bottom lip. _"May as well get it over with,"_ she sighed, turning to look at Hal. _"Send him in."_

Hal's eyes flickered nervously to Ranger, wordlessly seeking his consent. Ranger nodded infinitesimally, his hand unconsciously tightening around Stephanie's.

"_I'll, ahhh… I'll give you some privacy,"_ the doctor said, the dark figure in black keeping him from voicing his curiosity; turning sideways as Joe entered the room at the same time that he departed.

Joe's steps faltered as he took in the bruises wrapping around Stephanie's neck, _"Oh my God… Cupcake… Are you alright?" _His eyes continued down her body, his face scrunching in disgust as he reached their conjoined hands.

Ranger raised their hands to his lips, placing a kiss to the back of her hand, never taking his eyes from Morelli's, _"I'll be back, Babe," _he whispered, dragging his lips across her knuckles, smiling mischievously as goose bumps erupted up the length of her arm. For years Morelli had tormented him with their relationship, and now, he couldn't help but return the favor.

He stood from his chair, brushing past Morelli on his way to the door.

"_Taking advantage of the vulnerable again?" _Joe spit in contempt.

Ranger paused, turning slowly to face him, _"No, Morelli…. that would be men who rob innocent girls of their virginity on filthy pastry shop floors."_

"_Fuck you, Manoso! You can't judge me for the things I did as an eighteen year old kid!"_

"_No, I can't. But, I CAN judge you by the way you've treated Stephanie for the last two years, and personally, I don't see ANY difference between the boy and the man."_ Ranger turned and stalked out of the room, knowing that if he didn't leave now things wouldn't end well for Morelli.

Joe stared at the doorway with his hands clenched into fists, his chest heaving with rage and embarrassment; he turned to look at Stephanie incredulously, _"Is this the kind of shit he's been feeding you about me?"_

"_No, Joe,"_ She sighed, _"In fact, we've never even talked about you."_

Joe laughed humorlessly, _"Oh, of course not. Well, I can believe that. I'm sure that psycho has much more entertaining things to do with you than talk."_

Stephanie's rolled her eyes, _"You know what, Joe? We're not having this conversation. I don't owe you an explanation for..."_

"_The hell you don't! I find out that you've been fucking this THUG behind my back, and you don't OWE me an explanation?!"_ He fumed, waving his arms in the air.

"_We broke months ago! Have I asked you who you've been sleeping with…? No! And, to be honest with you, Joe… I don't care anymore… It's over…." _

"_Yea, I've heard that before…"_ Joe shrugged dismissively.

"_No, Joe… not like this you haven't. I'm sorry… but, I just can't do this anymore," _there was nothing left inside of her to give.

Hearing the finality in her tone, Joe began to backpedal, grasping at straws, _"Please, Steph, we can make this work… I just…. I guess I just didn't realize what I had,"_ He sighed, raking a hand through his disheveled hair. _"Just give me another chance… Please…"_ He looked pleadingly into her eyes; his own filled with loss and regret, his expression resembling a lost little boy.

She smiled sadly at him, her heart aching for his pain, _"I'm so sorry, Joe… but… I'm in love with Ranger."_

Joe flinched, recoiling away as if he had been slapped, his eyes desperately searching hers for a contradiction to her words.

His shoulders slumped in defeat and resignation, scrubbing his hands over his face wearily, _"Christ… I'm sorry too, Cupcake... I do love you… I just wish I would have shown it sooner."_

He approached her bed, leaning in to kiss her cheek; she pulled him into her arms, hugging him to her. He had been a part of her life for so long that the moment felt surreal.

He returned her embrace briefly before standing and walking slowly towards the door, he paused at the threshold, looking back over his shoulder at her; he opened his mouth to speak, but his face wilted in pain, halting his words. He hung his head, taking a few steadying breaths. When he finally gained his composure, he turned back to her with tears glistening in his eyes, _"I just want you to know, that I'll always be here for you… and that… I'll always love you… no matter what." _He swallowed roughly before exiting the room, not giving her a chance to respond to his words.

Stephanie starred at the empty doorway, finally finding the closure she needed to end that chapter in her life. Her heart had released him months ago and now he was setting her free as well. She almost felt guilty at the relief that washed over her, but quickly battled her guilt away. For the first time in her life, she knew that she _deserved_ to be happy.

* * *

Ranger led Stephanie by the hand into the bathroom of his seventh floor apartment; clouds of Blvgari scented steam billowing around them. He set a towel and her toiletries on the vanity, releasing her hand, _"Just… Let me know if you need anything_…" He placed a lingering kiss to her temple and turned to leave, warring with his desperate desire to stay, but anticipating her need for privacy after facing such a traumatic experience.

She reached out, grabbing his forearm gently; forcing him to look at her, _"Please, stay with me," _she whispered softly, her eyes not meeting his. He stepped closer to her, enveloping her into his arms, uncertain of who needed the comfort of the embrace more. Her fingers grasped the hem of his shirt, peeling it from his body. He raised his arms, allowing her to pull the fabric over his head, discarding it onto the floor. He returned the gesture, stifling a groan at the sight of her bare breasts.

They shucked the remainder of their clothes, stepping underneath the hot spray. He stood behind her, watching the water cascade down the contours of her beautiful body. He shook himself from his thoughts, knowing that it was not the appropriate time. Needing to focus his mind elsewhere, he poured some shower gel into his hands, running them down the slick skin of her back, kneading the tension from her stiff muscles. She melted into his soothing touch, hanging her head limply in front of her, the water washing over the back of her head and neck. He smoothed the rich lather down the back of her thighs and calves, continuing his explorations.

He stood, focusing his attention on washing her hair, his fingers massaging gentle circles against her scalp. He ran his fingers through her wet curls, the hair sifting through his fingers like silk. He grasped her shoulders lightly, turning her to face him, continuing the process on the front of her body. As hard as he tried to clamp down on his desire, his body reacted to her exquisite naked form; craving the feel of her body wrapped around him. He finished with her feet, rising up from his crouched position, pausing at the heated look in her eyes.

She raked her eyes slowly down his chiseled body, her eyes darkening with lust at his arousal. She closed the distance between them, standing up onto her tip toes as she wrapped her arms around his neck, bringing her lips level with his, tracing her tongue across the seam of his lips. His lips parted on their own accord, granting her access, accepting her sensual kiss. She felt him hesitate slightly, before wrapping his arms around her waist, pulling her body against his tightly, her back bowing, pressing her breasts into his chest.

She needed this, the emotional nurturing of intimacy. Ranger's heart spoke through his actions and she craved his healing touch.

"_Babe,"_ he groaned huskily, brushing his lips back and forth against hers as he spoke, _"You need time to heal… Please, Babe… I don't want to hurt you."_

His words were saying _"No,"_ but his body was screaming _"Yes!"_ She raked her nails down his sculpted chest with her fingertips; heat pooling low in her belly as she felt the hard ridges of his abs shivering under her touch. She nipped at his bottom lip with her teeth, eliciting a hungry growl from deep within his chest.

"_Then don't,"_ she whispered breathily, her voice deep and sultry. Her hands gliding farther down his body, wrapping her fingers around his hardened length, gently massaging the silky skin; her thumb rolling over the sensitive tip.

He sucked in a shaky breath, his eyes closing as his head fell back onto his shoulders, shudders rippling through his body, _"Fuck,"_ he groaned in defeat, rational thought yielding to the sensations of his body.

"_Mmmm,"_ she moaned, running her tongue up the length of his exposed neck, scraping her teeth against the edge of his jaw. The power she felt over his body was intoxicating, fueling her burning desire.

She nibbled along his jaw line to the sensitive skin below his ear, teasing the lobe between her teeth. He slid his hands down her back, cupping the globes of her ass, pressing himself into her aching center; she gasped at the intensity of the sensation, her hot breath tickling the wet skin of his neck.

His control snapped at the throaty sound of her pleasure in his ear. He trailed his fingers up her sides, skimming along the outer curve of her breasts, cupping their weight in his hands. He leaned down, capturing a pebbled nipple in his mouth, teasing and laving the delicate bud with his tongue; her erotic moans echoing off of the walls around them. One of his hands drifted down to her slick folds, two fingers plunging into her wet heat, the timing of his thrusts matching the pumping of her fist against him.

Looking into each other's eyes they found the meaning of true love; a connection so profound that their hearts and souls melded into one; their bodies creating a passionate bond that would last a lifetime.

He lifted her body, her legs instinctively wrapping around his waist as he pressed her back against the tile wall, the hot water raining down upon their conjoined bodies as he sheathed himself inside of her. Their breath hitching into ragged pants as he slid in and out at an agonizingly slow pace.

She could feel the pressure building within her, like a wave rising higher and higher from the swell, her hands gripping his heavily muscled shoulders, her fingernails digging into his skin as she clung to him. Her teeth sinking into her bottom lip, her eyelids fluttering with ecstasy as her release washed over her in a cascade of tingling sensation, lifting her to heights of unbridled passion.

A low, sexy groan escaped his lips as he joined her in fulfillment, plunging into a moment of true purity, everything in the world fading away except for the woman in his arms.

They clung to each other, bathed in euphoria as they reveled in this moment of absolute peace… knowing that a storm was brewing on the horizon.

*TBC…

*In the next chapter we will find out how Ranger handles the secret of Cain's diary…


	9. A Phantom Presence

_**Disclaimer: Janet Evanovich owns the rights to the following characters. This story is only intended as artistic exercise. I am in no way profiting financially from it. **_

_**Warning: This story is intended for adult readers only; contains graphic violent content, mature themes and adult language.**_

_**This is a Babe story, and will have and eventual Babe HEA.**_

_**Breaking of Souls**_

_**Chapter 9: A Phantom Presence**_

* * *

_Stephanie gazed down at the scene below her, a floating entity of intangible flesh and matter. She marveled at her weightless form, a shapeless energy of smoke and air, and wondered fleetingly, if her soul had been severed from her body. She studied her own motionless form below; unseeing eyes, lightly frosted with the cloudy sheen of death, staring vacantly back at her._

_Intrusive thoughts invaded her mind, the internal voice not matching the essence of her own; a dark phantom presence dominating her very being._

"_I warned you," it whispered, like the rush of wind through the leaves. _

_Movement from below caught her attention; a figure, clad in black, rushing towards her lifeless body, kneeling beside the discarded empty shell. She couldn't hear his words, but she could see him screaming down to her; his face contorting with agonizing cries of pain. He shook her shoulders violently, her head bobbing flaccidly with his jarring movements. She witnessed the exact moment that he realized she was gone, the spark of life and love dimming in his eyes. He buried his face in his hands, his shoulders heaving with relentless, racking sobs; the picture of a man with a broken soul._

_She ached to comfort him, to reassure him of her existence, but she was trapped within herself; an imprisoned shadow, gagged and bound into a useless state of being._

_Icy tendrils of fear gripped her; as a second figure emerged from the darkness, stalking stealthily towards an unsuspecting Ranger. She screamed in her mind, a tortured howl of helplessness, as her abductor, her personal Satan, stood behind Ranger's kneeling form._

_The figure raised his arms above his head, the light glinting off the blade clutched in his hands as he swung his arms down, plunging the knife deep into the space beneath Ranger's skull, shearing through the column of his spinal cord. He twisted the knife, savagely wrenching it free from Ranger's flesh, smiling in twisted satisfaction …_

****

"_NO!"_ She screamed, _"Ranger!"_ her arms and legs flailing violently as her fists connected with solid muscle, fighting wildly against her faceless attacker; a grunt of surprised pain startling her into a frenzy of panicked movements.

"_Shhhh ... Babe ... Please, Steph … Wake up!"_ Ranger pleaded, pinning her arms down beside her head, ending her brutal assault against him.

She opened her eyes, her body trembling with the intensity of her fear.

"_Ranger?"_ she croaked, her eyes welling with tears, the salty moisture spilling down her cheeks.

"_It's okay, Babe,"_ He whispered soothingly, rolling them onto their sides, cradling her into his chest. _"It was just a dream."_

The flood gates opened, pent up emotion erupting from her forcefully; hatred, terror, helplessness, pain, spewing from her tormented heart.

Ranger held her, murmuring words of love and reassurance, wishing that he could somehow absorb her pain, to remove her cross of anguish and bear its burden himself. He thought of the man that was responsible for her tears, a slow burning anger leeching through his system, like a poison infecting his body. He soothed himself with the promise of vengeance; Cain would suffer horrendously for every drop of her sorrow shed.

It felt like hours before her tears ran dry, releasing the suffocating weight from her chest.

"_Do you want to know what the worst part is?"_ she sniveled, wiping her eyes.

He kissed her forehead, encouraging her to continue, _"The worst part is the anticipation … It's like swimming in shark infested waters at night… knowing there's a monster lurking in the darkness … circling around me, waiting for an opportunity to strike. _

_He knows everything about me … about us; and, yet… I don't even know his name or why he's doing this to me … I'm fighting for my life blindfolded,"_ she looked up at him, her eyes searching his, _"Please, Ranger … I need to know what I'm up against … Don't leave me in the dark. "_ Her fear of the unknown was a losing battle, leaving her feeling damned and helpless.

Ranger's blank face slammed down, desperately wanting to protect her. He studied her face, her fierce expression telling him that his efforts were in vain. If he lied to her now, she would sense it, and he would lose her trust forever.

She cupped his face in her hands, her probing gaze penetrating deeply within him, _"What are you hiding from me?"_

He sighed, Fucking spidey sense. _"Stephanie … do you trust me?"_

She was stunned by his question, her brow furrowing in confusion. He had to know that she trusted him completely, _"Of course I do, Ranger … why would you even ask that?" _

He took a steadying breath, _"I'll tell you what you NEED to know… and I will never lie to you. But, I want you to promise me, that if I am forthright, you'll trust my judgment and not press me for unnecessary details. There are things that … you don't want to know."_

She started to argue, but stopped short as his emotionless mask slipped away, revealing the pleading man beneath. _"Okay," _she acquiesced, accepting his terms; knowing that pushing him further would be useless.

He combed his fingers through her wild curls, an unconscious gesture of comfort, _"First of all, you need to understand that he selected you as a victim at random. He became obsessed with an imaginary relationship that he thinks he shares with you. He believes that you are in love with him … and that his actions are not only __**for**__ you, but, __**accepted**__ by you as well." _Anticipating her thoughts he continued. _"There was no possible way for you to have prevented this, you are completely faultless and I will not allow you to blame yourself. Do you understand what I'm saying?" _

He felt her shake her head in confusion, _"How can you know that for sure? I must have done something to provoke him, to encourage his behavior."_

Ranger sighed, certain that she was part of the Spanish Inquisition in a previous life, _"His diary was recovered at the crime scene."_

She froze, her heart racing in her chest, _"Have you read it?"_

"_Yes … I have … Ranger paused choosing his words carefully. "And, it's part of the reason that I asked you to trust me. I promise you, Babe … you'll gain nothing by reading it. The knowledge won't help to keep you safe or give you an advantage over him; and to be honest, if I let you read It … I'll never forgive myself,"_ Ranger looked down into Stephanie's wide eyes, cringing from the morbid curiosity shining in them.

He searched his mind for a way to rationalize his stipulations with her. His thoughts drifting back in time as he spoke, _"When I was younger, I was very curious child; constantly testing the limitations and rules set for me. If I was told not to do something, I saw it as challenge to my independence, and I would do It … just to prove that I could. I got involved in things that a boy that age shouldn't have had any knowledge of._

_Trying to cure my rebellious streak, my Abuela told me a story that I have never forgotten. She said that she feared that I would come to understand the meaning behind her words all too well … and to some extent … she was right. _

_She told me about a beautiful woman named Pandora, who was given a very special gift; a box, with specific instructions to never open it. When Pandora gave in to her curiosity and opened it; she released unspeakable evils and afflictions upon herself and all mankind."_ Ranger paused, lost in his childhood memories, _"Babe … this diary is YOUR version of Pandora's Box … if you open It … you'll regret it for the rest of your life."_

A long moment of silence stretched between them, as she considered his words; her curiosity battling with her desire to prove her faith in him. She knew the story of Pandora's Box, but, placing it in the context of her own life brought new meaning to the legend. She studied his face, finding only love and protectiveness there. _"Okay … if it's that important to you, then I won't ask to read it … but, I have some questions that I need to have answered."_

Ranger flashed his two hundred watt smile, pulling her to him for a tender kiss; relief washing over him as the heavy burden was lifted from his shoulders.

She took a deep breath, needing to fill the unknown in her mind, _"What's his name?"_

Ranger hesitated before responding; it was clear that she wasn't going to let him off easy. _"Derek Cain."_

She was surprised that hearing her abductor's name helped to alleviate a small amount of her fear. Giving the monster a name made him seem more like a man, and less like an elusive, unconquerable nightmare.

"_Babe, we need to talk about how we're going to handle this," _Ranger said, breaking through her reverie, _"I don't want this situation to ruin our relationship; and given our personalities, I'm predicting a power struggle ahead." _

Fear lanced through her chest, past insecurities rearing their ugly head. She prayed that this wasn't the point when Ranger would ask her to give up her job, her dreams, her life, in order to be a part of his. She didn't know if she could handle that type of ultimatum from him now.

"_Relax … I'm not trying to dictate your life," _he reassured her, rubbing the tension from her shoulders. _"I know how important it is for you to make your own decisions, and to be involved in that process along the way. I'm not asking you to relinquish control … I'm just asking for you to trust me." _

"_I do trust you … but, that doesn't mean I am going to stand by and let you call all the shots while-_" Ranger held his fingers to her lips, silencing her protests.

"_Just hear me out, okay?" _He waited for her to nod in acknowledgement before continuing.

"_There's a reason that the government sends me on the missions that they do. I have a unique ability to make decisions in a split second that will save lives; and, in order to do that my emotions play no part in that process. In those situations, if I spend even a moment to second guess myself, to reconsider my actions because of the emotions and feelings of others … a lot of lives would be lost … including my own. In my line of work any hesitation can prove to be deadly. I do not have the luxury of time._

_You have to understand how much I love you and why I have held you at arm's length for so long. I understand your need for control; I personally share that same necessity. However, there needs to be a compromise between us if we are going to survive this and share a life together. If I have to worry every time I make a decision about how it will affect our relationship … I won't be able to keep either of us safe. _

_And, I'm not just talking about the current situation either. Given my past … and yours, there's a strong possibility that we will face a similar challenge in the future. I hope that by now, I have proven to you that my motives are pure. I'm not trying to change or control you. You have to know how much I value your opinion and respect your judgment and that is why in the past I have come to you with my problems."_

Stephanie pondered his words, seeing the truth in them. When Rangeman accounts were being breached, Ranger had sought her help, above all others; his actions then, validating his words now.

"_Babe, I don't want to scare you, but I need you to understand the severity of the situation. Right now, the decisions you make will affect everyone around you; your choices impacting the safety and well being of every person in your life. You have a history of wanting to fix problems on your own. By nature you are a problem solver, as am I, and in everyday life that proactive attribute is admirable, but this is not a situation that either of us can handle on our own. If we are going to survive this, then we will need to work together, trusting in one another implicitly. _

_Please have faith in me, Stephanie. I fell in love with the woman you are today… not who I think you can be. I will never try and take your independence from you or change you into someone or something you're not. I don't expect you to play a subservient role in our relationship. We're equals, and I will always treat you as such. I guess … what I'm asking you is for you to stop running. Trust me to be your partner, your lover, your friend … and I will promise to never let you down." _

Stephanie knew that this was a defining moment in her life; that her choices would have a profound impact on her future and their relationship together. Through her past relationships and experiences she had been conditioned to believe that a commitment meant giving up her identity and submitting to the will and desires of the other person. She had fought her entire life to retain any semblance of control. She realized in that moment, that she had never been afraid of commitment … she had been terrified of losing herself.

She looked into Ranger's eyes, unconditional love reflecting back at her, knowing that he would always help her to fly. And right now, he was asking her to take a leap of faith…

Without thinking twice, she stepped to the ledge …

And jumped … leaving her doubts and fears behind her.

TBC….

*Thoughts? How did you feel about Ranger's decision to tell her about the diary? Did he make the right choice? In the next chapter they will discuss and implement their strategy to stay safe … and, our ever elusive stalker will be back in the mix.

*Thanks again for all of the amazing reviews… you guys are the best! : ) Keep em' coming!

* I'd also like to thank my fantastic Beta's for this chapter, Ryl and Girliegirl1179… I am so thankful for your time and talents!


	10. A Warning Chill

_**Disclaimer: Janet Evanovich owns the rights to the following characters. This story is only intended as artistic exercise. I am in no way profiting financially from it. **_

_**Warning: This story is intended for adult readers only; contains graphic violent content, mature themes and adult language.**_

_**This is a Babe story, and will have and eventual Babe HEA.**_

_**Breaking of Souls**_

_**Chapter 10: A Warning Chill**_

* * *

Three weeks had passed since their return to Haywood. Stephanie had worked diligently in keeping her promises to Ranger. She had agreed to begin a training regimen, not only to learn how to protect herself, but to become more efficient in her job as well. Bobby had volunteered as her self defense instructor, starting with basic moves and working up to more advanced techniques. The training sessions had been physically and mentally grueling for her, purposely catching her off guard to simulate the adrenaline rush of an attack. She began to unconsciously assess her surroundings and the people in it as if by a second nature; Bobby's words replaying over and over in her mind like a mantra, _"Stay aware … Stay alert … Stay alive."_

Stephanie held no illusions about her physical limitations against an attacker of Bobby's size. She thought of Cain, and her abduction, and how lucky she was to have escaped alive and without serious injury. She knew that without a great deal of time, effort and training, she would still be easily overpowered during a struggle. Bobby taught her how to use her own body, her hands, elbows, feet, and teeth as natural weapons against an assailant. But, the most valuable component of her personal artillery was her intuition; learning to trust her instincts was vital to her personal safety.

Ram had agreed to further her training at the shooting range; grilling her relentlessly on her stance, body alignment, and trigger control. After shaking off her initial aversion to guns, she found the process to be somewhat therapeutic; focusing intensely, clearing her mind of everything but the target ahead of her. She felt empowered with her newly acquired skill; her lack of size and physical strength made irrelevant by the gun in her hands. A well placed bullet would stop the biggest of men … evening the playing field. That knowledge was a driving force for her, pushing her to strive for a goal of utter perfection. She was thrilled with her progress, and Ram was amazed with her natural instincts and steady hands.

"_I know you don't like guns … but, Bombshelll … you've got real talent! I mean … look at this!"_ Ram held her bullet riddled target up as proud as any PTA mom. _"You've got eight rounds entering within a four inch spread … that's incredible!"_

Stephanie laughed at his rampant enthusiasm; she had never seen anyone so elated over a holey piece of paper before. _"Well, I was taught by the best … and shooting with my eyes open has definitely helped to improve my aim." _

"_Improve?"_ Ram scoffed dubiously. _"You're almost as good of a shot as any of the guys here. I'm serious, Steph … you've got raw, natural talent." _He was so puffed up with pride in her achievements that he was practically floating.

Stephanie sighed dramatically, bringing the barrel of her .38 to her lips and blowing away the imaginary steam, _"There's nothing like cold steel to encourage a man's admiration."_

Ram blushed, rolling the target up in his hands, _"Yeah, well … I'm just impressed is all."_ he muttered gruffly. Flattering Ranger's woman was like drawing a bull's-eye on your forehead for his personal target practice.

Stephanie couldn't help but smile at the big, bashful man. She leaned forward, giving Ram a quick kiss on the cheek. _"Thank you." _

He flushed a dozen shades of red before settling on a rosy pink hue; a hint of a smile tugging at the corner of his lips. _"My pleasure,"_ he grumbled, wringing the rolled up target in his hands. He busied himself by setting up a fresh target for her to continue practicing. She fell into a comfortable rhythm, focusing solely on her foresight and the aiming target ahead, only pausing to recover from the recoil before firing again.

She smiled as tingles trickled down her neck, announcing her company. She felt a warm hand settle at the small of her back before her ear protection was lifted away from one side of her head. _"Nice shot, Babe," _Ranger whispered huskily, heat radiating from his body. _"You know … there's just something inherently sexy about a woman who can handle a gun."_

Stephanie turned to look at him with a wicked smile, _"Hmmmm … Is that so? Well, a gun isn't the only thing I can handle."_ She cooed suggestively, her teeth sinking into her bottom lip as she trailed her eyes down his chiseled form.

Ranger pulled her to him by the collar of her shirt, kissing her roughly, _"I may need a private demonstration of your skills."_ He growled into her ear, goose bumps erupting over her body.

"_I think that can be arranged," _she rasped, her toes curling in her shoes.

A sigh of frustration froze them in their heated embrace. _"If I'd have known that target practice was the way to your heart, Bomber, I'd have booked the place solid months ago."_ Lester shook his head, his expression sour with jealously.

Stephanie laughed rolling her eyes, _"You know, Lester … For some reason I think my HEART is the last destination you'd be interested in traveling to."_

Lester grinned, a naughty twinkle sparkling in his eyes, _"Well, of course there would be some interesting observation points along the way ... Wouldn't want to miss out on the scenery--"_

"_Santos! Gym, 0500 hours, where I'll be taking you on a little trip of my own; just pray your journey ends at the infirmary and not at the morgue."_

Lester quickly raised his hands in an unarmed gesture, _"Ahhh… Come on, man! You know I was just playin' around."_

Ranger raised an eyebrow, scrutinizing Lester's expression. Lester's innocent facade cracked under Ranger's intense gaze, his playboy smile leaking through, _"Okay … I was MOSTLY just playin' around." _He chuckled, sending a wink in Stephanie's direction before strutting towards the exit, calling over his shoulder as he left, _"We're all set up in conference room B_."

Stephanie watched his retreating form before looking up into Ranger's expectant face, her azure eyes sinking into deep chocolate pools.

"_Babe."_ He sighed, shaking his head in exasperation.

"_What?! What's that look for? I didn't do anything!"_ she sputtered defensively, planting her fists on her hips.

"_Trust me. You don't need to DO anything. Just standing there … looking like THIS," _he waved his hand down the length of her body like the unveiling of a sculptured masterpiece, "_is enough to encourage him."_

Stephanie couldn't hide the knowing smile that spread across her face, _"Awww … Batman's jealous!"_ she teased tickling his ribs.

He caught her hands in his, averting his gaze. _"I'm not jealous … I'm just … protective." _

She studied his face, her heart squeezing at the tender vulnerability shown there. _"Okay,"_ she whispered placing a gentle kiss to his flexed jaw. She knew better than to believe that, but she didn't want to wound his ego by pressing the issue. _"But, just so you know … you're the ONLY man who'll be getting a tour of Plum Paradise."_

He had warned her that being in a relationship was completely new territory for him and that she would need to be patient as he navigated the unfamiliar waters. The effort he was making to communicate his feelings with her made her love him even more than she thought possible.

Ranger chuckled, flashing his wolf grin._ "Plum Paradise, huh?"_ He bent down, throwing her over his shoulder, swatting her ass playfully as he strolled towards the exit. _"Let's get this meeting over with … I've got an itch to do some exploring of my own."_

* * *

They walked hand in hand into the conference room, Ranger taking his usual seat at the head of the table with Stephanie sitting to his left, Lester, Bobby and Tank filling the remaining seats.

"_Report,"_ Ranger barked getting down to business.

Lester passed Ranger a single photo, _"We've had twelve residential accounts hit within the last two weeks. The neighborhoods that have been targeted and the time frames that the burglaries occurred have been completely sporadic." _

Ranger inspected the still shot taken from the surveillance video of the most recent theft. The suspect was young, in his late teens or early twenties. He tried to keep most of his face and body carefully concealed, but he made the mistake of looking directly into the camera. The photo was pixelized and grainy, but clear enough to determine his ethnicity, approx age, weight and height.

"_I don't know, man, something just feels off. Even watching the surveillance footage you can see these guys have no idea what they're doing. Even a smash and grab robbery would have been more thoroughly planned out than this. The guy took a fucking BOOK off of the coffee table … didn't even touch any of the valuables that were in plain sight. It's almost like they're just taking a souvenir to prove the act of the theft itself. _

_I almost wonder if this is some type of a gang initiation or something. That would explain the lack of planning and the "proof" taken from each home … it wouldn't need to be valuable, just the closest thing they could get their hands on before getting out._

_I've got a friend down at the Jersey Street Gang Bureau; I'll give him a call and see if this matches the M.O. of any of our local gangs."_

Ranger nodded, _"In the mean time I want the man power on the monitors doubled. Every available man is assigned to patrol surveillance throughout the potentially targeted areas. _

_Tank, have Hector look over this photo. I want to know if there is any identifiable gang paraphernalia on this man's person or attire. I also want to be contacted personally with any additional information or update that we receive. From this point on, a core team member is to respond to all home security breaches. Understood?"_

Bobby, Tank and Lester nodded their heads in assent before filling out of the room.

Ranger sighed pinching the bridge of his nose. The timing couldn't possibly be worse. Finding Cain was his first priority and his men were already working overtime to track him. In addition, Ranger had promised Stephanie to always have an extra man with him whenever he left the Rangeman building. He didn't feel that it was necessary but complied to ease her mind. He also knew that he would need to assist with the additional security measures.

"_Babe, how would you feel about doing some surveillance with me tonight? I know you've been cooped up here and you'd probably like to get out for a few hours."_

Stephanie agreed, unable to resist a change of scenery and the promise of fresh air.

* * *

They had been driving aimlessly for hours, perusing the streets of their most valuable accounts. Stephanie had fallen asleep an hour into their shift after demolishing her "surveillance snacks". Ranger smiled at her peaceful sleeping form, her wild curls plastered against the passenger side window. He chuckled at the empty candy wrappers strewn about the car. He wouldn't have been surprised if her cat nap was actually a sugar induced coma.

Ranger unclipped his phone from his belt as it vibrated. _"Yo."_

_"Boss, this is Hal, we've got a security breach on Lexington and 3rd. The alarm was triggered four minutes ago from an exterior main level window. I've called the residence; the tenants are currently not at home."_

Ranger pressed his foot down on the accelerator, swiveling his head to read the street signs as he drove.

_"I'm two streets over; I'll respond to the call."_ Ranger disconnected, adrenaline pumping through his system. He peeled onto Lexington, pulling to a stop in front of a two story colonial. He hesitated briefly, debating whether or not to wake Stephanie. Deciding to let her sleep, he shut the door, arming the alarm, carefully locking her inside.

He approached the house, the flood lights illuminating his presence as he walked up the porch steps. He used his company security code to disable the alarm, walking through the threshold. He crept down the hall, his gun held in front of him, scanning each room as he passed. He could see the shimmer of shattered glass sprayed across the wood floor from a broken ground level window, the blinds crushed from the intruder's entry.

"_Fuck."_ He growled assessing the vacant room, a warning chill racing down his spine. The pit of his stomach twisting with unease as every instinct in his body screamed that something wasn't right.

* * *

The wind howling against the motionless car woke Stephanie from her sleep. She yawned, stretching her arms above her head as she looked around disorientedly. She scrubbed her hands up and down the length of her arms, fighting the chill that was slowly seeping into the car. She peered out at the house that she was parked in front of, noticing the Rangeman Security stickers in the front windows.

She chewed on her lip nervously as she scanned the windows for any sign of movement within. She assumed that Ranger must have stopped to check on a security breach at the residence. She reached for the door handle, dropping her hand as she resisted the urge to get out of the car and follow him inside, knowing that he would be upset if he returned to find her missing.

Movement from the shadows caught her attention; a lumbering form creeping along the perimeter of the house towards the porch steps. The figure turned its head, a white puff of breath steaming into the brisk night air as it scanned the vicinity of the empty front yard.

She gasped in terror, seized by a fear so intense that she struggled to breathe, starring at the unmistakable profile of Derek Cain.

TBC …

*Thoughts? I would love to hear your feedback. I promise the next chapter will be coming soon : )

*I want to thank my fabulous Beta Ryl! I am so grateful for your time and talents! Without her help I would have never been able to publish this chapter before the holidays.

*I wish everyone a safe and wonderful holiday season!

Jen


	11. Perfecting the Craft of Murder

_**Disclaimer: Janet Evanovich owns the rights to the following characters. This story is only intended as artistic exercise. I am in no way profiting financially from it. **_

_**Warning: This story is intended for adult readers only; contains graphic violent content, mature themes and adult language.**_

_**This is a Babe story, and will have and eventual Babe HEA.**_

_**Breaking of Souls**_

_**Chapter 11: Perfecting the Craft of Murder**_

* * *

_Previously …_

_Movement from the shadows caught her attention; a lumbering form creeping along the perimeter of the house to the porch steps. The figure turned its head, a white puff of breath steaming into the brisk night air as it scanned the vicinity of the empty front yard._

_She gasped in terror, seized by a fear so intense that she struggled to breathe, starring at the unmistakable profile of Derek Cain._

* * *

Ranger spun around, the hair rising on the back of his neck as he felt the sudden drop in the air pressure around him. The faint _"click"_ of the front door closing had him moving stealthily towards the farthest wall from the door, securing his back, training his gun on the empty doorway. He listened to the intruder's soft footsteps approaching, pausing just outside of the entryway. Ranger's eyes followed the movement through the wall, staring unblinkingly at the spot where the noise stopped. The distinct sound of a jacket being unzipped, followed by the soft rustling of fabric carried throughout the room.

Ranger stiffened as a daunting figure came into view. Time seemed to slow in anticipation as Derek Cain stepped through the threshold. Ranger's heart sped at the sight before him, tension hanging thickly in the air. Metallic water pipes, bound together with black electrical tape, were strapped across the width of Cain's chest. Ranger's eyes followed the black wire trailing from the primitive bomb to the trigger clutched in Cain's left hand, his thumb perched precariously over the red detonator button. The flesh of his hand and wrist were oozing and charred with angry red burns, the tell tale signs of an amateur bomb maker. Images of Iraqi suicide bombers flickered through Ranger's mind, the horrific flashbacks causing beads of sweat to pool on his brow. He had witnessed firsthand the destruction caused by a "Shaheed Belt" explosion, the kill zone encompassing nearly one hundred yards in diameter.

Ranger mentally calculated the distance from where Cain stood to the car where Stephanie slept at the curb of the street. He swallowed the lump of fear in his throat as he realized that she was too close. The frame of the car would provide little cover from the blast, the equivalent of hundreds of shotgun shells being fired simultaneously in multiple directions. The shrapnel, consisting of steel ball bearings, screws, nails and bolts, would tear through the aluminum body of the car like a hot knife slicing through butter. His stomach plummeted, fluttering sickly with the horrific possibilities.

Ranger's eyes shifted to the revolver clutched in Cain's right hand, the presence of the weapon telling him that his intention was not to commit suicide, though he would resort to it if he had no other means of succeeding in his goal. This small reprieve offered Ranger a glimmer of hope. His life in exchange for hers was a price that he would most willing pay. He would gladly take a bullet before provoking Cain and risking Stephanie's safety.

Ranger let his gun slip from his grasp, the metal clanging loudly on impact against the oak wood floor. He raised his hands slowly in surrender, his eyes never leaving Cain's face, accepting his fate. _Surrender_ … the concept was so foreign to him that he couldn't quite wrap his mind around it. A warrior laying down his armor at the feet of an enemy was more painful than death. He felt as though he would explode from the rage boiling within him; a violent desire so extreme that it clawed at his insides, frantically seeking release. He would give anything to kill Cain with his own bare hands, ending his miserable existence; anything in this world … but the cost of her life.

Cain chuckled, pointedly circling his thumb around the detonator button. _"I see that you're familiar with my little device, Manoso. It's amazing what one can create with the most basic of tools, isn't it? But, then again, you didn't expect me to come unprepared, did you? You should have known better. You've spent nearly a decade perfecting the craft of murder. This," _he said, vaguely gesturing towards his chest, _"Is merely an insurance policy."_

Ranger stood, silently cursing himself for not recognizing the robberies as a set up, and for walking blindly into an ambush.

Cain laughed, the haunting sound deranged and chilling. _"Just figuring it out, are you? It was simple, really … almost like going fishing, you bait the hook, release what isn't worth the effort to kill, and eventually … you'll catch the right fish._

_I paid a couple of strung out kids to break into any home with a Rangeman Security logo displayed in the windows, tripping the alarm, stealing whatever was within their reach to substantiate the burglary. And all I had to do was sit back and wait. Eventually, given enough opportunities, you would inevitably respond to a call."_

Cain cocked his head to the side, his hollow crazed eyes flitting wildly about Ranger's face. _"How does it feel for the fisherman to become the bait? Realizing that you've been deceived, lured in under false pretenses, knowing that you're about to take your last breath before being gutted and consumed?"_ Cain puzzled aloud, morbid curiosity evident on his face.

It took a herculean effort for Ranger to stay rooted into place, his entire body quivering with barely suppressed aggression, a toxic hatred coursing through his veins. He called upon years of training to school his features, keeping his face impassive, praying that death would greet him before his legendary control snapped.

* * *

Stephanie sat gasping for breath, rocking back and forth in her seat, one word repeatedly escaping her lips. _"N-no … No, please No!"_ She shook her head, viciously fighting to regain her composure, her fight or flight instincts battling with one another. She reached forward with a trembling hand, pressing the button for the Rangeman operator on the dashboards security panel.

"_Rangeman, this is Hal."_ Stephanie flinched as Hal's deep voice resonated throughout the car.

"_H-Ha-Hal?"_ She stammered, the word sticking to her tongue.

"_Bomber? What's going on—where's Ranger?" _

"_It's Cain—he's here! He's in the house! Oh my God … Ranger's in there—I've got to help him!"_ She fumbled clumsily with her seat belt, frantically reaching for the door handle.

There was a split second of silence over the line before Hal's voice boomed throughout the car, steady and commanding. _"Stephanie, I need you to stay in the car. Do you understand me? DO NOT get out of the car! We are on our…" _his voice trailed off as she stumbled from the car, his words not making sense in her mind. She walked woodenly through the front yard, scaling the porch steps, opening the front door as quietly as her shaking hands would allow.

She crept down the hall, cringing as the floor creaked beneath her feet. She doubled over, heaving violently, her body's conditioned response to the familiar smell of oil and tobacco. She strained to remain silent, the pounding of her heart thudding in her ears. She wiped her mouth with her sleeve, her body trembling uncontrollably as she stood on rubbery legs continuing down the hallway. She could hear Cain's voice, the gravelly timber sending shivers down her spine, grating on her nerves. _"You've taken something that belongs to me, twisting and defiling it into an almost unrecognizable mess. YOU have been the obstacle all along … a poison infecting her mind. Once you are eliminated your fraudulent claim to her will be broken, and she will praise me for freeing her from your sinful presence." _

She stood with her back against the wall, muting his words, focusing on slowing her erratic breathing. She turned her body, peeking through the open door. She froze in horror, her eyes widening in shock as she digested the scene before her. She stared at Cain's back, her mind registering the bound mass of metal rods and wires as a bomb; his wide frame blocking her view of Ranger.

She whipped around, bracing her weight against the wall as her vision spun dizzily. She steadied herself, searching for a way to help Ranger. Her mind cleared; she knew what she needed to do. She had trained for this moment, with hundreds of sleazy men, in every filthy bar in Trenton. Tonight would be her ultimate distraction job, their lives at stake as bounty.

She took a steadying breath, forcing her body away from the wall. She turned, entering the room; Cain whirled around, both men's eyes snapping in shock to her face. She threw a disdainful look in Ranger's direction, her lip curling into a disgusted sneer. She turned her gaze to Cain, smiling seductively. _"What took you so long, Derek?" _She cooed her lower lip jutting out into a playful pout. _"I thought you'd forgotten about me."_

Cain stared at her in astonishment, his eyes raking down the length of her body. _"No … NEVER,"_ He vowed, his skeptical gaze clouding with hope.

She smiled radiantly, her eyes trailing down his arm to the revolver in his hand. _"Good …"_ she whispered, _"Because I've never stopping thinking about you, hoping that you would come to my rescue. I- I've missed you,"_ she stuttered forcing the lie from her lips.

A slow sadistic smile of triumph spread across Cain's face, his eyes narrowing into dark and lustful slits. _"I've missed you too. I hoped that you'd come to your senses and realize that our lives are intertwined by fate. You belong to me, forever." _He sucked in a shaky breath as she approached him, their bodies a breath away. She trailed her fingertips down his arm, his body shivering under her touch. _"Let me show you how much you mean to me," _she husked, wrapping her fingers around the gun in his hand. His grip tightened, eyeing her suspiciously. _"Please," _she whispered looking up at him through her eyelashes.

His face displayed the internal war raging within him. His dead eyes tightening as he carefully read her expression. _"Alright, but if you're fucking with me … I PROMISE that you'll regret it."_ He reminded her of the consequences by deliberately caressing the detonator in his hand.

Stephanie lowered her eyes chewing on her lip thoughtfully. She looked up into his face, her blue eyes wide and pleading like an innocent child. "_You don't trust me?" _she murmured the hurt evident in her voice.

"_Trust is earned,"_ he hedged thrusting the gun into her hand. _"Kill him. Prove your loyalty to me above all others,"_ he demanded, a hint of manic hysteria leaking into his voice, nodding his head in Ranger's direction.

Stephanie shrugged a shoulder impassively, _"Not that he means anything to me, but I'll do it, if you want me to."_

She took the gun, stepping in front of Cain, looking into Ranger's eyes. She prayed that he could see the love and desperation shown in hers. His eyes widened slightly as he read her intentions. Freezing in place, he held his breath as he planted his feet in preparation. She raised the gun, her thumb pulling back on the hammer of the revolver, the _"snap"_ of the gun being cocked reverberating against the walls. She willed her hands to steady, sighting in on his chest, just inside of his arm, six inches below his collarbone. She steeled herself, her index finger running along the length of the trigger, pleading silently for his forgiveness.

Ranger's eyes, though fierce and controlled, conveyed his understanding. She fought to control her shaking hands, terrified of hurting him. She hoped that he would forgive her, that he would know that her actions were forged from deepest devotion of love. A memory sparked in her mind, Ranger's velvet voice echoing in her ears. _ "I have a unique ability to make decisions in a split second that will save lives; and, in order to do that my emotions play no part in that process. In those situations, if I spend even a moment to second guess myself, to reconsider my actions because of the emotions and feelings of others … a lot of lives would be lost … including my own."_

She raised her eyes to his, with her back to Cain she mouthed the words _"I love you"_ to him, pouring as much emotion as she could into the gesture. She rid her thoughts of everything but the task at hand, forcing her emotions, fears and concerns to the back recesses of her mind. Her resolve solidified, she squared her shoulders, steadying her hands.

Ranger nodded infinitesimally giving her permission _"Please, Stephanie … You don't have to do this," _he begged, playing his role in the charade, knowing that this was their only chance of survival.

Stephanie laughed sarcastically, focusing on the target ahead. _"I'm afraid I do."_ Never taking her eyes away from his chest she pulled the trigger.

Ranger stumbled backwards from the impact, the air forced from his lungs in a _"whoosh" _as he crumpled to the floor, writhing in pain. Her eyes snapped shut, swallowing the bile in her throat, forcing the image from her mind.

She turned around slowly; praying that the smile on her face concealed the horror raging within. She couldn't allow Cain to get a good look at Ranger, knowing that the lack of blood would give away his bullet proof vest. She closed the distance between them, running her hands down the sides of Cain's face. _"I love you,"_ she whispered, the lie stinging like acid on her tongue. Cain's lusterless amber eyes widened slightly, fluttering in anticipation like a shark about to feed.

She leaned in, circling her arms around his broad shoulders, still clutching the gun in her right hand as she pulled his head down to meet hers. She felt his initial hesitation, cautiously gauging the authenticity of her actions. She felt his reservations crumble, unconsciously releasing the trigger in his hand, wrapping his arms around her waist. He kissed her hungrily, a groan of ecstasy slipping past his lips as she plastered her body against his. She ran her left hand up the base of his skull, gripping his hair, yanking his head back away from hers.

Confusion flickered across his face as she quickly raised the revolver to his temple and pulled the trigger, the impact propelling his body sideways into the ground, his rigid arms forcing her down with him. Her teeth slammed together as her head cracked against the wood floor. A sharp pain accompanied a blazing white light; darkness seeping in from her peripheral vision, like ink bleeding onto a blank canvas, painting her world in black.

TBC …

*So … what do you think? Please review ; )

*Thanks again to my wonderful beta Ryl!

*Wishing everyone a safe and Happy New Year!

Jen


	12. Stepping Out of Shackles

_**Disclaimer: Janet Evanovich owns the rights to the following characters. This story is only intended as artistic exercise. I am in no way profiting financially from it. **_

_**Warning: This story is intended for adult readers only; contains graphic violent content, mature themes and adult language.**_

_**This is a Babe story, and will have and eventual Babe HEA.**_

_**Breaking of Souls**_

_**Chapter 12: Stepping Out of Shackles**_

* * *

_Previously …_

_Confusion flickered across his face as she quickly raised the revolver to his temple and pulled the trigger, the impact propelling his body sideways into the ground, his rigid arms forcing her down with him. Her teeth slammed together as her head cracked against the wood floor. A sharp pain accompanied a blazing white light; darkness seeping in from her peripheral vision, like ink bleeding onto a blank canvas, painting her world in black._

* * *

"_Stephanie! Talk to me, Babe … Please!"_ Ranger scrambled frantically across the floor, gasping for breath from the impact against his Kevlar vest, his pulse hammering painfully against his bruised abdomen. He had been forced to listen helplessly to the shot being fired, unable to see who had been on the receiving end of the bullet.

He knew that he couldn't survive without her. _"Please, Babe," _he begged, stopping beside their entangled bodies, praying for a miracle.

The side of Stephanie's face and hair was splattered with blood, her right hand still clutching the revolver. Cain's arm was draped heavily over her torso. The entrance wound at his temple was surrounded by a large tattoo ring of gun powder, the skin blackened from the close range shot. Blood pooled beneath his head, the exit wound expelling a sea of crimson onto the floor.

Ranger pulled her body free from Cain's grasp; still clinging to her even in death. She groaned softly as he cradled her into his chest, scrunching her eyes closed tightly in discomfort. He released a shuddering breath of relief as he watched her involuntary movements. He could see that she was teetering between levels of consciousness, eyes fluttering, her brain rebooting after the traumatic blow to her head.

He looked down into her face, in awe of the beautiful woman in his arms. Hidden behind her delicate exterior was more strength and courage than he had ever known anyone to possess. He was truly humbled by her bravery and selflessness. She had risked her own life to save his, an unspoken gesture of love that he understood implicitly, a display of affection so profound that even he couldn't deny the intentions behind her actions.

He realized in that moment that he needed this, some form of tangible proof of her love for him, to know that she cared for him as much as he cared for her, a feat that he never before believed possible. He was choked with emotion as he finally accepted her unconditional love for him, not matter how unworthy he felt, she offered it to him just the same. He had spent his entire life surrounding himself with people who he could trust with his life. And now, he had finally found someone that he could trust with his heart.

He brushed a reverent kiss across her lips, thanking God for her love, for the greatest blessing he had ever received, a gift that gave purpose to his life and comfort to his soul. He would cherish this woman with every breath he would take for the rest of his life.

The pounding of feet down the entryway shook the wood floor violently, the picture frames on the walls rattling with the vibration. A stampede of Rangemen burst into the room, weapons brandished, fully clothed in swat gear.

"_Boss- Oh, Fuck!"_ Tank breathed, his feet skidding to a stop as his eyes focused on the suicide belt wrapped around Cain's chest.

"_Zero?"_ Ranger questioned hoarsely, scanning the group.

Zero made his way to the front of the crowd, his skilled eyes locking in on the Shaheed Belt, instantly reverting back to his days as an EOD Specialist in the U.S. Army. He was well known and respected for his ability to quickly disarm and defuse even the most sophisticated explosive devises. _"I'm on it, Sir," _he responded mechanically, already concentrating intensely on the task at hand.

"_Bomber?"_ Tank rasped, his eyes shifting to Stephanie's limp form, mistaking Cain's blood for her own.

"_It's not hers."_ Ranger answered his unspoken question, feeling the collective sigh of relief from the men around him.

Ranger grimaced as he stood, his sore ribs protesting under the additional weight of Stephanie's unconscious body. He didn't want her to wake within eyesight of Cain. He knew that she would remember shooting him, but he didn't want her to be haunted by the visual of the aftermath.

Bobby and Lester stepped forward to assist him, immediately retreating from the possessive look that flashed across Ranger's face._ "Get me a washcloth to clean her up. I don't want her to wake up covered in his blood."_

Bobby turned, walking quickly back through the door to retrieve his medical supplies.

Zero cut through the wire connecting the bomb to the trigger, wiping the sweat from his brow with his sleeve. _"Disabled and rendered safe, Sir."_

Ranger nodded in acknowledgement, carrying Stephanie through the threshold into the foyer. He let his weight sag into the wall, sliding down to the floor, cradling her body in his lap. Bobby handed him a washcloth, asking about her injuries, knowing that it was useless to try and treat Ranger before she was taken care of. He probed her skull with his fingers, feeling the lump on the left side of her head. _"She'll need to have an x-ray taken to rule out any further injury, but I think it's safe to say that she's only sustained a mild concussion." _Bobby stood, walking back towards the crime scene, anticipating their need for privacy.

Ranger cleaned her face and neck as gently as if he were handling the most fragile piece of crystal, wiping away the evidence of Cain's death from her skin. His soothing touch combined with the warm water pulled her slowly back into consciousness.

She squirmed in his arms, peeking up at him through the crack of one eye, raising her hands to either side of her head. _"Ugh … Why are my ears ringing? What happened? I don't remem--"_ she bolted upright, her eyes widening in horror, covering her mouth with her hands as she swayed dizzily from the sudden movement. _"Oh my God, Ranger … I shot you!" _she shrieked, her eyes flitting wildly over his body.

"_Shhh … Babe, listen to me. I'm fine, I promise. Please lay back down."_

Still covering her mouth with her hands she shook her head frantically. _"No. I need to see that you're okay. Please, Ranger. I can't BELIEVE that I actually shot you … What if my aim had been off? I could have killed you! I would have never forgiven myself. I'm so sorry I--"_

He covered her lips with the tips of his fingers, silencing her unwarranted apology. _"You saved me, Babe. You saved us both,"_ he whispered calmly, dipping his head to replace his fingers with his lips. He kissed her sweetly until he felt the last bit of tension melt away from her body. He pulled back to look into her eyes, tucking a stray curl behind her ear. _"Proud of you, Babe."_

She smiled softly back at him, blushing from the raw emotion shown in his eyes. _"Show me … please…"_

He knew what she was asking. She needed to see for herself that she hadn't hurt him. He reached behind his back, pulling his shirt over his head. Her eyes widened as she stared at the bullet embedded into his Kevlar vest, the inner fibers fraying out through the hole. She traced it lightly with her fingertip, chewing on her bottom lip, her eyes filling with tears.

She reached around him, loosening the Velcro straps of the vest, peeling it away from his body. Tears spilt down her face as she stared at the angry black bruise blooming on his chest, a knotted welt rising in the center where the bullet had made contact.

Ranger brushed her tears away with his thumbs, cupping her face in his hands. _"It's only a bruise, Babe. I know how hard that must have been for you. I trusted you with my life and you did what you had to do to protect us both."_

She sniffled, offering him a wobbly smile, finding comfort in his words. She leaned forward, placing a gentle kiss to his chest, resting her ear above his heart, the steady beat lulling her into reassurance. Worry snaked through her stomach. She leaned back quickly to look into his eyes, needing to see the truth in them. _"Did I … Is he …?"_ she stumbled over her words, not wanting to hear them spoken out loud.

Ranger nodded infinitesimally, gauging her expression carefully. He could see the emotions warring in her eyes, relief, sadness, anger, flickering rapidly across her face. She lowered her gaze, struggling with the confusion that raged inside of her.

He lifted her chin with his finger, forcing her to meet his eyes. _"Stephanie, he left you NO other choice. Taking someone's life is never easy, but you have to understand that either way someone would have died tonight."_ He shook his head, realizing just how lucky he had been. _"And without you … I can guarantee that it wouldn't have been Cain."_

Stephanie flinched at his words. Even the thought of losing him was unbearable. She would always regret being forced to shed another person's blood, but she knew that she would do it again, over and over, if it guaranteed his safety.

She thought of Ranger's actions towards her over the years, the countless times that he had confessed his love for her without saying a word, his actions more binding than any spoken vow could ever be.

"_I love you more every day,"_ she choked through her tears, wrapping her arms around his neck.

His eyes crinkled around the edges, a warm smile lighting his face. _"I'm counting on that."_

He kissed her passionately, a kiss filled with promises for the future, and a love that would last forever.

Their nightmare was finally over.

* * *

_Six months later …_

Ranger helped Stephanie from the car, taking her hand in his, leading their way across the lawn. _"Are you sure you want to do this, Babe?" _He had been dreading this moment, terrified of the emotional toll that it would take on her.

She blew out a puff of air, firming her resolve, giving his hand a gentle squeeze. _"Yeah … I NEED to do this." _She knew that he was supporting her wishes but that he didn't quite grasp her motives. She needed him to understand why this meant so much to her.

"_I've realized so much over the past few months. And, I've finally accepted that people will inevitably hurt me throughout my life, complete strangers, my enemies, even my loved ones, leaving scars on my body and my heart. In time the physical wounds will heal, the bruises will fade, and the bones will mend. But if I harbor these feelings of hurt and anger inside of me, reopening wounds and reliving nightmares, I am allowing their actions to hold me prisoner long after the damage is done. It's easier to maintain a grudge, to reinforce time and time again that I have been wronged, but by holding on to that pain I am preventing myself from healing, turning myself into a victim who is crippled by the past._

_I AM a survivor and I will not live in fear. Derek Cain terrorized me in life but I will not allow his memory to haunt me in death. I'm choosing to let this go … I'm CHOOSING to live, and by doing so the past will not plague my future." _

As they reached their destination she knelt down beside Cain's headstone, combing her fingers through the fresh cut grass along the edge of the granite slab. _"I hope that you will find peace_," she whispered softly, praying that her message would reach him somehow. _"And, I want you to know that … I forgive you. Not for your sake, but for my own because I won't let the toxic hate that I have felt for you poison me any longer. And, so … I forgive you, and I hope that someday you'll find solace in your journey ahead."_

She reached into her back pocket, retrieving the contents inside, placing Cain's diary on the center of the flat headstone. She opened the book of matches, dragging a single wooden stick across the edge of the pack, igniting a spark. She held the flame to the paper edge of the journal, watching it writhe and curl as it was consumed by the fire. It took a great deal of strength for her to forgive a man who had hurt her deeply. Tears streamed down her face, each drop releasing the anger and hatred that had been bottled inside of her, severing his power over her.

Ranger knelt beside her, rubbing soothing circles on her back, whispering words of love and comfort.

She raised her face to the sky, the sun burning a brilliant red behind her closed lids, bathing her skin in warmth. She felt lighter than she had in months, the heavy burden finally lifted from her shoulders. An inner peace washed over her, healing the wounds that had been festering for so long.

She opened her eyes, the sun glinting off of the diamond engagement ring on her finger, scattering rainbows across the lawn. She took a deep, cleansing breath, turning away from Cain's headstone, stepping out of the shackles of her past and into Ranger's waiting arms; embracing her future and the man who would share it with her.

The End.

*I hope that everyone has enjoyed Breaking of Souls. I'd love to hear your thoughts : )

* Thanks to everyone who has been reading and reviewing. Your feedback has meant so much to me : ) And, as always, a huge thank you to my Beta, Ryl, whose input has helped me tremendously.

Best Wishes for a Wonderful 2010!

Jen, A.K.A Batman's Bombshell


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